The Loki Sitters Club
by ZGory
Summary: Due to the overwhelmingly hostile attitude in Asgard, Thor takes his newly reincarnated brother to Avengers Tower. Irritation turns to a grudging fondness which comes in handy when one of Loki's internet friends turns out to be quite dangerous.
1. Prologue

A/N: Cross posted from both AO3 as well as the kinkmeme. Flies in the face of the comics as I'd say it probably takes place before Fear Itself though there are anachronistic references throughout. Unfortunately, neither Leah nor Thori nor Ikol make an appearance as I first conceived of this story one year ago and was thus unaware of the existence of those characters. By the time I got into the flow of this thing, it would have screwed up the plot to have included them.

This was written and completed (with the exception of the last chapter) before the ending of Journey Into Mystery. So there are really no spoilers, and this won't rip your heart out.

* * *

A peal of laughter escapes from Loki's mouth as Thor catches him about the waist and hoists him through the air. They twirl around in a circle, and once Thor sets him down on the ground, Loki launches himself at his older brother and succeeds in knocking him down to the ground. The little god perches triumphantly from his position on top of Thor.

"Pinned you," he declares with a smile on his face and twinkle in his eye.

Thor chuckles good naturedly and clasps a hand to Loki's shoulder. "That you did."

Loki slides off his brother and lies down next to him to gaze at the sky. After a few minutes of content silence in which they both observe the clouds in the Midgardian sky, Loki elbows Thor in the side. "This has been most enjoyable."

Thor's gut clenches at the simple statement. He also enjoys these moments with his brother. They are chances to rebuild the relationship that he had thought was lost to him for so long. Unfortunately, Thor is the only one to see it that way. Every one still views the reborn trickster as a threat to be constantly reviled. Loki is avoided at best. At worst, he has few allies to come to his aid. He wants to be at Loki's side to protect him from those who mean him harm, but he cannot always be there. The Warriors Three had only vowed to watch his younger brother out of an obligation to Thor rather than any sort of devotion to the younger prince, and though Stark has allowed them both into his tower, the other Avengers give them a wide berth. He wishes that there would be people who would defend his brother based on who he is now.

"Aye and I am sure that the others would be glad to partake in such festivities."

Loki tenses at his side, and Thor curses himself for making it sound as if he was ready to pass him off to his Midgardian teammates. In Thor's absence, the various members of the Avengers are to look after Loki as he stays in the tower.

He grasps Loki's much smaller hand and squeezes it affectionately. "None so much as me of course," he reassures with a smile. Loki does not return the look and keeps his eyes on the blue sky above them.

"You're Midgardian allies are strange," finally comments the young trickster.

"They are good warriors. Honorable men and women," adds the thunder god.

Loki faces his brother with a scrutinizing look before returning his gaze to the sky. "We shall see about that."


	2. Grocery Shopping

Tony curses as he comes across yet another grocery store aisle devoid of the little trickster god.

It had just been his luck to be the only person in the tower with Loki. Everyone else had somehow gotten called away on various missions and yet there was nothing asking for his expertise. Even his fellow science brother was preoccupied elsewhere.

Pepper made it clear to him that while she did many things for him babysitting was not one of them. She had also somehow made it so that he couldn't dump the kid off in Happy's hands.

So here he was, alone with a reborn Loki, a growling stomach, an urge to make something himself, and an empty pantry. A trip to the grocery store appears in order, and leaving the miniature god by himself is not an option.

Loki was as reluctant to go with Tony as Tony was to take him. Upon seeing the selected convertible though, Loki rushes over and hops into the driver's seat.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" says Tony in a panic as memories of the little mischief maker hotwiring a car enters his mind. He leans over the side of the car and grips the wheel. "Not for like another ten years and even then it wouldn't be in this baby. Or any of my other babies."

"Asgardians age differently from you mortals," points out Loki.

"Fine. Make it 30 years," replies Tony with a smirk before shaking his hand in a way that signals for him to move.

The kid legitimately pouts before crawling into the passenger seat.

"Hey! Watch the interior there, kid," warns Tony as he watches Loki scramble all over the place when he knows the little runt could simply hop over.

Loki pointedly ignores him as he crouches on top of the seat and drags his feet over the seat until they touch the floor. He smiles innocently in the face of Tony's involuntary eye twitch.

The billionaire grips his keys tightly before pulling Loki's seatbelt all the way, buckling it in, and smiling in satisfaction at the way Loki chokes a little when he pushes against it. "Buckle up for safety," he says as he ruffles Loki's hair.

The kid glares at him but that look vanishes as soon as they hit the road. Tony's need for speed and giving his cars proper time out are things Loki seems to enjoy, and he seems more disappointed when they finally get to their destination.

A lot of things continue to capture the little guy's attention. He keeps going on about the automatic sliding doors that are much more convenient than the hulking thins in Asgard that serve more for decoration than convenience. The sprinkling system for the vegetables also delights him though he says the water is no match for the sustenance his own brother could provide for the plants.

All of his excitement makes Tony want to shove him into a shopping cart so that he'll hold still. In fact, he wishes he had because it seems as if the kid vanishes the second Tony turns his back on him (something that's instinctually hard for him to do). Cue Tony's current predicament as he searches for Loki in fear of what Thor and his hammer will do to him.

He finally finds Loki in the aisle that never fails to trap most children as well as some adults: the junk food section. Loki stares at the assorted brightly colored packages with a dazed expression. This expression quickly wipes away as Tony ruffles his hair in place of boxing his ears.

"There you are! Nearly gave me heart attack. Don't run off like that, okay?"

Loki tries to smooth down his wayward hair while giving Tony an irritated expression. Then he goes back to staring at the junk food.

"No! No, no , no, no, and no!" declares Tony as he metaphorically puts his foot down. "Your brother's bad enough when he gets a healthy dose of sugar into him. I don't need the both of you with your weird metabolisms tearing up the place."

A sigh of admiration catches Tony's ear, and he turns around to find a woman behind him. She has a hand over her heart, and despite the baggy sweatshirt she's wearing, he can tell that she's got quite the body.

She sees him looking at her and immediately starts blushing. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear, and I think it's just great when a father takes initiative with his kids. Your wife must be so grateful."

Loki's nose wrinkles at the implication. "He's not my-MMMH!"

Tony immediately claps a hand over Loki's mouth and holds the little guy close to stop his wriggling. "Married. I'm not married," he smoothly explains. "I'm afraid it's just me and the little guy right here."

"What about your other son?"

"Excuse me?"

Her face takes on the neutral face of politeness. "I-I thought I heard you mention a brother?"

Tony's face widens in remembrance. "Oh! Him. Yeah, the big guy's at summer camp right now probably lighting up a storm." He chuckles at his own joke, and she laughs along as well. "But enough about me. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

After Tony's gotten her number, and she walks away, he ruffles the kid's hair again. "Good job. You actually came in handy."

"What is your obsession with mussing up my hair?" snaps Loki as he swats Tony's hand away.

Tony rolls his eyes before grabbing a packet of cookies and tossing them to Loki. "Here you go. You earned it."

Loki's eyes light up before narrowing suspiciously. "Must I always masquerade as your progeny in order to obtain sweets?"

Tony genuinely laughs at that. "No. Just this once." He grabs another three packets for the heck of it and dumps them into Loki's awaiting arms. "You get these for being perceptive," he explains as he places a hand on the god's shoulder and leads him towards the shopping carts. "Now let's get what we came here for and then we can take the long way home."

The promise has Loki skipping off towards a shopping cart and wheeling around on it like a maniac. Tony can't help the grin that creeps on his face as he goes to calm the kid down. He really isn't so bad. Too curious for his own good, but not so different from your average Earth kid. This observation gets confirmed upon Loki's look of disdain when they go back to the produce aisle, and Tony starts loading up on the green stuff.

"Not even the threat of Ragnarok could get me to eat those," says the kid.

Yep, thinks Tony to himself. Not so different after all.


	3. July 7th

Steve stares pensively out at the city skyline. He admires how the blending yellow and orange of the setting sun reflects off of the gleaming high-rises of the city. He consults his sketch book to see how good of a job he's doing. It is relatively calm and quiet on the roof so when he hears the door open, his fingers momentarily stiffen on his pencil.

Loki stands in the doorway looking as if he's just sucked on a lemon. "What are you doing up here?" asks the young god suspiciously.

Steve forces himself to relax (something that is rather hard to do when faced with Loki as distrust and suspicion immediately floods his body despite his seemingly innocent appearance) and grins at him. "I could ask you the same thing." Loki's face remains neutral at this lack of an answer, and Steve decides to throw him a bone. "But if you must know, I was just taking in the view."

The kid looks out to the city and raises an eyebrow. "What exactly is worth viewing?"

The question momentarily stumps Steve as many answers fly through his mind: reveling in the fact that the city stands, enjoying the beauty of the sunset, letting all of the differences between the city of the past and the city as it is now really sink in. Instead he opts to actually let Loki in on his real reason, riddled with sentiment as it is.

"I always enjoy watching the fireworks display for the 4th of July."

The young god rubs his chin contemplatively. "Is it not the 7th of July today?"

Steve nods his head forlornly. "Our mission ran through the 4th as I'm sure you noticed."

Loki is silent for a few moments which Steve takes as a sign of agreement. When he asks his next question it is as if he is testing some unknown boundary. "So these works of fire were those brightly colored explosions in the sky?"

Steve nods absentmindedly as his mind drifts back to memories of loud bangs and sparks going off within mere feet of him. A bright multi-colored flash snaps him out of his revelry, and he immediately trains his focus on Loki who stands frozen with his hands held out with his palms facing upward.

Steve reels at this display and takes up a defensive stance. He drops his sketch pad on the ground and brandishes the pencil. Thor had told his fellow comrades that Loki's reincarnated form lacked the magic of his predecessor. It had been one less thing to worry about from the pre-teen trickster as his wits and tongue were still a force to be reckoned with. But obviously that was not true (go figure), and Steve prepares for the worst.

But then he observes how the kid's pallor has paled a shade, and it is not from fear. Steve almost misses the way Loki tremors if not for the fact that his attentions is so readily trained on the god. His small hands ball up and return to his sides.

"I-I had just meant to reenact your weak fire displays. I underestimated the effort they would require…" Loki casually leans against the frame of the door in a manner that seems too calculated. Steve would offer help if not for the knowledge that it would be rebutted as well as the fact he's still a bit mistrustful.

"Does Thor know?" he asks bluntly.

Loki's face tries to stay a neutral blank, but Steve catches the way the kid's lips purse ever so slightly.

Steve crosses his arms in front of his chest. "You know I will have to tell him about this."

"It was a very minor display. Nothing at all to concern him with," replies Loki airily even as his hand clutches tighter to the frame.

"I think he would at least like to know about how you got so winded all of a sudden."

"That can always be attributed to my poor stamina in the realm of physical activity."

Steve cracks a smile. "You don't even look like you've hit puberty. There's no way you're lacking in energy."

"You have no idea how a god's body works," shoots Loki.

"Well I figure you Asgardains have a leg up on us in that department."

"Well you should not assume so much as you know what that makes you look like," replies Loki with a very big smile.

Steve's eyebrows shoot up a little, but he doesn't find himself entirely surprised considering all the time Loki seems to have been spending on that Starkpad Tony gave him (a device whose main difference from its Apple counterpart Steve hasn't spotted yet).

"I don't think being concerned about you makes me a fool."

"While I admit that the actions of my former self give you adequate cause to be wary, I would like to assure you that my recent ability to perform magic should not alarm you. I have only the barest of reserves with which to perform my craft, and the simplest spell leaves me drained."

Steve actually believes him. While the little bout of exhaustion that had washed over Loki after the sparks display could have been some convoluted act to catch Steve off-guard, he chooses to go the Occam's Razor route. That and the explanation Loki is providing him work as a plea to not tell Thor.

From what Steve witnesses of the two brother's interactions, it is clear as day that they cherish each other. Thor values his younger brother and goes to great lengths to protect him as is obvious by the big move he has made by installing his brother in the tower. Loki has a serious case of Big Brother Worship and tries his hardest to do anything and everything in order to please Thor. The young god must think that this return of his magic would spell doom for his relationship with his brother.

But what Loki doesn't seem to realize is that the love Thor has for him is all encompassing. While in the past Steve had found it to be a detriment when going up against the manic Trickster, he thinks that love will be a great benefit to this growing child before him. When speaking of the past, Thor had recalled tales from his childhood about the clever tricks Loki would pull off with his magic. Really, the only time Thor spoke negatively about Loki's magic was when it had been used maliciously against others.

"That's what I meant. You don't have to go risking your personal health as impressive as it was."

The flattery makes Loki genuinely smile. "I will concede that you are correct though it was quite fun."

Steve watches the kid and looks out to the horizon again. "You know what's more fun?" he says slowly as he looks out at the waning light which streaks across the city. When he turns his attention back to Loki, the kid looks at him curiously, and Steve smiles slowly. "Lighting fireworks yourself."

The kid absolutely beams, and the smile is devoid of the bitterness or maliciousness that had tinged every expression of his predecessor. "They allow people access to these fiery explosions?"

"Well not really. The kind your average citizen can get his hands on are much weaker than the ones you saw. Your spell is a lot more impressive." Seeing the smile on the kid's face turn down a notch, Steve adds, "But I assure you that they're just as much fun."

"I would like to be the judge of that," states the little god.

"All right," agrees Steve.

They agree to meet back up in two hours when it is darker. Steve gets the display cleared with Coulson by using a trapped-in-the-ice-for-so-long-and-by-god-do-I-miss-a-good-old-fashioned-fireworks-display card. He tracks down Clint (rather than Tony who would probably manufacture something crazy and dangerous or JARVIS who would probably inform Tony) and asks the archer where he could get some fireworks. When prompted to explain, Clint smiles and tells him to leave it up to him. As a consideration since it is Tony's home they are in, Steve leaves a note on the billionaire's door.

That night sees more than just Steve and Loki meeting up. The young god predictably brings Thor with him. Clint shows up with three backpacks bursting with fireworks that Steve suspects to not be street legal. Coulson also appears and claims to be overseeing the whole event to make sure things don't get out of hand. This excuse gets verified when Tony shows up stating he won't be left out of festivities being hosted in his very own proverbial backyard.

The evening goes off without a hitch. Despite Clint's reservations once he saw the reborn trickster, they get to use all of the fireworks he brings. Loki claps enthusiastically after lighting each one and then begs to light them all off in a large pile. This request is shot down though Tony does successfully get to light them off in two and threes. Loki's enthusiasm rubs off on everyone else but none so much as Thor who has to be convinced to not add lightning to the show. With some of the weaker ones, Thor tosses them high into the air, and Clint shoots at them to produce some fun fireballs. Not to be outdone, Tony says a few words to JARVIS and suddenly the sky is alight with some Stark-grade fireworks that were probably on reserve for some special occasion, but knowing Tony they're just there for the hell of it.

With a final bang, they're out of supplies, but the little party remains on the roof for a while longer. Steve waits until it's just him and the two brothers on the roof.

"What did I tell you? Good time, right?"

"It was a most agreeable evening," agrees Loki.

"You know what a perfect ending would be?" At both god's inquisitive expression, Steve raises his hands and wiggles his fingers. Thor continues to look confused, but Loki gulps reluctantly. Steve gives him his most winning smile as well as a reassuring pat on the back.

With a sigh, Loki turns towards Thor, and his brother gives him his undivided attention. The kid holds out his hands, and Steve means to stop him as he meant for Loki to explain himself rather than do a demonstration. Too late, colorful bursts of light accompanied by their own sound effects illuminate Thor's surprised face.

Loki's hands fall to his side, and the thunder god's immediately reacts. With a roar of joy, he hoists his younger brother into the air and whirls him around a few times. When he sets him down, he claps a hand to Loki's shoulder which combined with the toll of the spell serves to make his knees tremble. Thor immediately steadies his brother.

Despite his trembling, Steve sees the smile splayed across the kid's face. It's the brightest thing he's seen all night.


	4. Sketches

It is a testament to all of the meditation techniques Bruce practices that he does not visibly freak out when the air next to him momentarily shimmers. Internally, it startles him but not enough to break out the Other Guy. Going about his business on the computer, he asks, "What are you doing down here, Loki?"

The space 'eeps' and then realizing the ruse is up reveals itself. Loki sheepishly sits cross-legged on the work bench with a sketch pad perched on his lap. The kid is dressed a lot more casually than any other time Bruce has seen him (which is admittedly not a whole lot). In place of that complicated looking hoodie and the questionable leggings, he wears a simple green t-shirt and cargo shorts. Pepper or Jane is probably to thank for the change in wardrobe.

Loki fiddles with the pencil in his hand and leans forward with a little huff. "The Captain has been instructing me in drawing, and I sought to find a model of my very own with which to practice my skill on."

Bruce's eyebrows shoot up at the admission, and he self-consciously scratches the back of his head. "Well I have to say I'm flattered, but I think you'd be better off starting with animals."

"That was what I was doing," replies Loki. "Or at least that was my intent." He narrows his eyes at Bruce as if that will allow him to see the other being that resides in him.

The doctor's forehead crinkles disapprovingly. "You shouldn't try to do that."

"And why not?"

Bruce sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Well first off, I can guarantee you that you wouldn't be able to get anything good. The impression you'd get wouldn't be the type you'd want to commemorate on paper. It would be the kind you would want to scrub from memory."

Loki's eyes widen at the admission. "Is it truly that monstrous?"

The doctor closes his eyes and drags a hand through his hair. He fights back the flash of rage that insists on showing the kid firsthand so he'll never ask that question again. He takes a deep breath and exhales it out slowly before reopening his eyes to look back at the expectant god. Removing his glasses, he polishes the lens with hem of his shirt and focuses on that action as he answers.

"Yes and no. When I get to see the damage he's dealt, it really shakes me. I mean, it's pretty damn frightening to wake up stark naked in the midst of so much chaos and not be able to recall everything that happened."

When he peers up, he sees something flash across Loki's face that tells him that the kid understands him.

"So I tried my best to repress him. Just completely try and get rid of him. But nothing works. No matter what I do, he's always there. Hanging over me. Reminding me of what he can do." The expectant look which had crossed Loki's face quickly falls off. "And if it's not him then there are plenty of other people who are willing to remind me about the Other Guy as if he's not constantly with me. There seemed to be no escape."

Loki stares at him with utmost attention, and his small mouth has pursed together. "I fail to see how he has not proved monstrous to you."

Bruce smiles sadly at him while leaning against the table. "I've come to accept him on my own terms. It's not a perfect union, but he's part of me for better or worse. I can't just tolerate him. I have to work with him."

The kid's face goes neutrally blank, and Bruce suspects this is something he struggles with daily. Thor has mentioned that the Loki of old is no more, but a figure like that cannot be so easily forgotten or dismissed. Bruce knows firsthand how the actions of another can be hung up on you. But then he also know that his situation isn't a perfect analogy for the kid and that thoughts such as these are much too heavy to be dealing with. While his predecessor had wrapped himself in many twisted thoughts, there was no need for this incarnation to follow suit.

Clearing his throat to change the subject, Bruce leans over to get a peek at the sketch book. "So, um, sorry that I couldn't be of anymore help."

Loki hurriedly clutches the drawing pad to his chest but not before Bruce spots a sketch of a figure wearing glasses.

"Yes, it was very rude of you to be of no assistance to me," says the little god with a sniff.

Bruce tries to hide his knowing smile while continuing to lean oh-so-casually against the table.

The moment is broken up by a melodic beeping. Loki's face lights up, and the kid pulls a Stark phone out of his pocket. He smiles at whatever the message on the screen is, and then his finger flies over the touch screen as he taps back a response.

"Where did you get that from?"

"It was a gift from Stark though he would not say as much." Before Bruce can hint at the phone being obtained through less than honorable means, Loki continues to explain without looking up from his phone. "Some excuse about having me test out the new model. And I must say that both the wi and fi signals here are most excellent!" He looks up with a bright smile.

Before Bruce can ask who he could possibly be texting, his answer seems to be answered when Thor appears at the door with panic written all across his face. The doctor envies how divine Thor looks even in a worried state what with his cape billowing behind him as he hurries forward. The Other Guy takes offense to the thunder god's reaction, but Bruce finds it to be well placed. Then Thor takes a good look at the two of them and visibly relaxes seeing that nothing has happened.

Loki lights up even more at the appearance of his brother and rushes off the bench towards him. Thor notices the sketch pad and inquires as to what Loki has been up to. The younger god makes as if nothing of note has been drawn, but Thor plows him with sly little jokes and compliments until finally Loki hands over the sketch pad. The little god of mischief is uncharacteristically quiet as Thor flips through the pages. Even Bruce finds himself on edge as to what Thor will say.

"You have quite the eye, brother," says Thor with a soft smile on his face. His eyes peer up at Bruce from the drawing pad. "Though I do not recall friend Banner ever making such faces before."

Before Loki can snatch the pad back, Thor holds it out of reach and faces it so Bruce can see the drawing. Loki futilely jumps up, but Thor's height has him at a disadvantage. He also tries scaling his brother, but Thor uses his strength to hold him at bay. It's a sibling version of keep-away which Bruce is pretty sure is the most popular version of the game.

Then Bruce actually looks at the drawing and can't help the chuckle that escapes him. It turns out to be a rendering of him but with one of the most absurd faces he's probably ever made. He has his tongue poking out with one eye squeezed shut in concentration. What Tony would refer to as a "derp face" actually strikes Bruce as being endearing if not a bit embarrassing. With a pang, he realizes it's probably the sort of face Betty would have teased him about on several occasions before he gained the other occupant of his body.

Giving up on regaining the sketch pad, Loki pouts and folds his arms across his chest. "The doctor makes unusual faces while in the throes of his work."

Bruce grins. "Well it's a pretty good likeness. Mind if I keep it?" The Other Guy gets an absurd thrill from seeing Bruce look so silly.

"It's not finished yet," declares Loki. He holds out his hand for the sketch pad, and Thor finally returns it. He looks between Bruce and his drawing before adding something. Then he carefully rips out the page and hands it to Bruce.

"No it is," states Loki again proudly. "You may want to hold on to it for any future riches it may bring you on the bay of E."

Looking at the sketch, the only new thing Bruce notices is Loki's loopy signature taking up one whole corner. Nice to know his self-worth was high and his ego intact.


	5. Security Posse

Tony has barely landed on the terrace to the tower before several sounds attack his ears and send various emotions through him. The smashing of glass has him sighing for a split second because large quantities of the strongest ballistic glass are not the cheapest things in the world. The roar of rage which follows afterwards nearly has him crapping his pants with concerned terror. Bruce hasn't had a Hulk-out that he wasn't in control of since the Helicarrier incident. The high-pitched shriek-squeal makes his blood run cold. Loki had been the only one in the tower with Bruce.

Without another thought, he goes flying after the giant green monster. Sparing a glance to the destroyed window, he takes note of Fury standing at the edge, and Hill chewing out one of the SHIELD mooks who had presumably come with them.

Catching up to the Hulk is not as hard as he had expected as the giant figure stops before Steve, who is decked out in all his Star Spangled Spandex and Clint. The Captain certainly looks worse for wear having come back from the same mission as Tony, but he quickly dons the skin of authoritative leader like a glove. Clint has his bow at the ready though Tony has his suspicions as to what he's aiming at.

"Let the kid go," commands Steve in his most authoritative tone.

Tony lands next to him, flips his face plate open, and holds his hands out in a manner meant to soothe. The Hulk seems to misread the intent as he growls and clutches Loki even closer to him. In the crook of his arm, Loki looks no worse for wear though very wide-eyed and a shade paler than usual. His small hands are a stark contrast to the green skin they so ferociously cling to. Tony thanks his stars that Thor's elsewhere on Asgard business.

"HULK PROTECT LITTLE GOD!" declares the Other Guy much to Tony's surprise.

Steve's eyes also widen a fraction at the revelation, but he continues on. "We want the same thing. You're among friends. He's among friends," adds the good Captain gesturing at the child god. Clint's hand appears to twitch at this blanket statement, but even he's not dumb enough to voice opposition to something meant to calm in a potentially volatile situation.

"HULK BE HIS BEST FRIEND!" yells the Hulk as he angles towards bolting off in the opposite direction.

Then the kid taps his finger against the Hulk's arm and actually manages to get his attention. The kid is looking up at the Other Guy with a smile that Tony doubts anyone could fake in that position. Even reborn tricksters.

"It's all right, friend Banner. The Captain is indeed a man of his word and full of honor. They intend no harm." Then the kid actually pets the Hulk's arm as if he's a misbehaving dog rather than a force of destruction.

Wonder of wonders, Loki's reassurance works, and the Hulk slowly lets him down on the ground. The little god wobbles for a second, but a large green hand is there to steady him. That same hand then gleefully pats the kid on the head, and Tony has to give it up to Asgardian makeup (or whatever the hell Loki is on a biological basis) that the kid does not go staggering face first into the pavement.

"Are you okay?" asks Steve perfunctorily but still with lots of concern.

Loki looks up at Steve with confusion scrunching his eyebrows together. "Surely, you jest? That was the most exhilarating experience I have undergone on Midgard! Heretofore, I believed my days would consist of memorizing the tedious minutia of the tower! I am more than okay. I feel most excellent!"

The kid turns back towards the Hulk and practically jumps out of his kin with excitement. "We must do this again! And next time, we must reenact that most iconic scene from the visual narrative of the gigantic gorilla king!"

Steve promptly pushes Loki behind him as Hulk takes to the suggestion like a lit match to gasoline and seems intent on reenacting such a scene right now. "Another time, you two."

The matching pouts the pair of them put on has Tony snorting, and he catches one of the corners of Clint's mouth turn up ever so slightly.

"Think I'll head back and see what all the hulabaloo's about. Need a ride, Katniss?" he asks Clint.

Clint snorts and rolls his eyes but also folds his compact bow back up. Tony doesn't wait for Steve's go-ahead before latching on to Clint and taking back off towards the tower. The glass the Other Guy had smashed through makes for a convenient entrance.

The unexpected visitors are still there, and Tony makes his displeasure known.

"To what do I owe this unwelcome visit?"

Both Fury and Hill remain stone-faced which has Tony wondering what the annual SHIELD Christmas party is like. Hill goes on to explain in a business-like manner that could rival Pepper's that they had come by to check up on Loki due to the lack of detain in Coulson's report about the random fireworks display. Upon seeing Fury, the kid reacted negatively and conjured some glowing, green barrier. The extra agent who had come along had instinctively whipped out a firearm aimed at the kid's head. At that moment, Bruce had shown up and not taken too well to the situation. Tony knew the rest from there.

"So why was I not made aware of this new development?" asks Fury with his narrowed eye which deeply unsettles Tony.

"The magic thing?" clarifies Tony in a bout of feigned ignorance.

The day seems to be full of surprises as Clint speaks up next, and in seeming favor of the reincarnated god. "With all due respect, Director, the child's magic is almost a non-issue. He has a tendency to stick to simple flash and dazzle type stuff as anything else leaves him drained."

Tony nods in agreement. "Feel free to check my security footage, though I'm sure you already have in which case I'm not sure why we're having this conversation."

Tony takes the silence as a sign of begrudging agreement.

"We just wanted to asses that he really is the non-threat that Thor claims him to be," explains Hill.

At this the billionaire would like to direct them to another set of video feeds. Hours of Loki bothering him and Bruce in the labs and asking question after question not to bother them but to actually learn all absorb all the knowledge that he could. Loki and Steve on the couch watching movies both classic and modern. The kid idly entertaining himself with either a book , sketch pad, or Starkpad (it's amazing how the kid manages to bypass all of the safety filters Tony had installed). And then most common of all are the countless times Thor has carried his slumbering brother off to bed. The little trickster's head nestled into his brother's neck, and the thunder god carefully holding him like a precious parcel.

Tony flashes his patented, insufferable smile that means he's the opposite of pleased. "The only threats you have to worry about are the kind made against the kid. Then not only do you get to contend with an extremely pissed off deity but also an indestructible rage monster as you so clearly saw." He doesn't add himself or Steve to the pot as the other two heavy-hitters paint a good enough picture.

Clint gives a nod of his head to indicate the accuracy of Tony's statement, and Tony can't help but marvel at the top notch security detail that the kid has managed to cough up.


	6. Hide and Go Seek

To say that Clint was not too keen about the little babysitting gig Thor had stuck on them would be an understatement. He had been—to borrow from Thor's vernacular—verily upset.

Upon hearing the news, he made a crack wondering about the servants that were supposed to take care of bratty little princes. Thor's unsmiling face and the faint rumble of thunder tell him that these are not options, and this is not a joking matter.

Ultimately, the decision was not up to him, and when the little half-pint arrives, Clint makes sure to be nowhere near him. Walking into rooms with the kid is uncomfortable, but to find him actually enjoying himself strikes a chord with the archer that he doesn't think he could control. He usually needs to beat a speedy retreat lest he do something which gets his arm in a cast courtesy of Mjolnir. The only game he would like to play with Loki would be a reenactment of William Tell with Loki's head serving as the apple.

Then the 7th of July happens, and a few of his reservations are reluctantly torn down. The enthusiasm the kid exhibits at the numerous flashing lights takes Clint back to his early days in the circus. Back when everything had been exciting and new, and he was unaware of the trials that lay ahead. The kid's excitement bled into him that day, and he couldn't help but be transported to those happy days.

The leisure of that day is tainted when he considers that Loki could be manipulating him as he would be privy to that information. All of his secrets had been laid bare that bastard, and he wasn't going to forget them anytime soon.

But then according to Thor, his own secrets were his (and SHIELD's) again as Loki himself had no memories of his prior self or his past actions. It still didn't put him at complete ease around the kid, but all his initial resentment was ebbing away.

Another reason for his slow attitude change was because of all the times he would spy on the two brothers. Initially, the spying was to keep an eye on the kid. Then when he had to admit that the kid wasn't much of a threat (aside from the odd prank and cheeky comment), he kept watching because watching the two of them interact reminded him of what he once had with Barney. The comparisons didn't fit perfectly, but the parallels are still there.

Thor obviously wants the best for Loki, and for the most part, the kid really does seem to be striving to walk a better path. If not for himself then for Thor's sake. The kid is trying so hard to make his brother proud that Clint can feel the ache. It just transports him to all those times that he pestered Barney with questions about right and wrong and if had made the right choice with their new carnie lifestyle.

What finally brought him around was the dejectedness he would see from the kid every time Thor had to go. Though Loki knows that Thor would be coming back, he seems to hold his breath as if he's being left behind. Clint knows all too well the feeling of abandonment by a loved one, and he realizes that it's not something he would wish on the kid. Yes, there had been many times in the past when he wished Thor would give up on his brother. But that was back with a relationship that looked beyond repair (sadly, Clint knew all about finding your brother on the opposite side of enemy lines).

Now, it's a different story. Well maybe not really as Thor still refuses to abandon his brother, but this time Loki recognizes this, and his main fear is that his brother will give up on him.

So now he can't help but want the kid to succeed. Sure, this may all be some strange, convoluted ploy (which really was Loki's style or at least the old Loki) but a month of good behavior and enduring all sorts of outpourings of love from Thor like hugs and kisses to the head and general brotherly shenanigans were the kind of things that would crack at old Loki's mask and have him lash out like a psycho. This version needed all that stuff and support from other springs that weren't related to him.

So with this little mission in mind, Clint surprises himself by actually seeking out the kid himself.

He finds him in the lab trying to pester Bruce into Hulking out so he can play with the Other Guy. Though Clint does believe that Bruce can keep the other guy under control, there's no sense in risking anything. That and the Hulk's desire to come out and play could prove to be more powerful than Banner can handle.

"Hey, half-pint," calls Clint. This earns him a glare from Loki as if he's been affronted and an amused smirk from Bruce. He waves the kid over. "You're with me today."

Loki does not budge until Bruce gently pats him on the shoulder. Looking up at the doctor as if betrayed, Bruce gives him his best them's- the-breaks shrug. Exhaling with an exaggerated frustration, Loki walks over to Clint's side, and Clint has stop himself from rolling his eyes at the way that the kid barely keeps himself from stomping over. No wonder Tony was the first to get along with him. Strangely enough, Loki seems the more mature between the two of them.

Treading behind the archer, Loki waits until they're in the elevator before speaking. "Are you going to extract your vengeance upon me now that we are all alone? Because I must warn you that my brother will be most displeased with such a course of action."

Clint splutters and stares at the kid with a look of disbelief. "What?!"

"So you are going to try and stealthily dispose of my body then. Well you'll have to catch me first." And with that absurd line, Loki swipes Clint's legs from underneath him and makes a quick scramble for the hatch door in the elevator.

Clint grunts and lands on a knee. He quickly punches the emergency stop button and leaps up to grab at the little ankles wiggling through the elevator door. He successfully wraps his around an ankle and avoids a kick to the face as he yanks the kid back down.

The kid actually practices evasive maneuver tactics in trying to evade Clint's grasp, but the archer finally wraps two arms around the kid and holds him down.

"Stop fighting. I'm not trying to hurt you."

Loki keeps kicking at him. "You have a strange way of showing it!"

"So says the kid who hits first and tries to take off," counters Clint. He grunts as some of the kid's kicks make their mark. "How about we call a truce, kid?"

Perhaps Loki considers his options because he finally holds still and slowly nods his head in agreement. Clint slowly releases him, and Loki turns to face him. He stares at him for a while, and Clint gets the feeling he's being assessed. Then Loki holds out his hand.

"I believe that it is custom for two parties to shake on an agreement."

Clint takes the smaller hand in his and gives him a perfunctory shake.

"So where exactly were you going to scamper off to? Because I can assure that I know where all the hidey holes in this place are. You wouldn't be able to beat me at a game of hide and seek."

Loki smiles that supposedly innocent smile of his that only fools Thor. "Is that a challenge?"

And that's how Clint finds himself scouring all the little nooks and crannies in search of the little trickster. Their rules were simple: keep it to the living areas of the tower, no asking JARVIS, no using magic, and they both got forty-five minutes to find the other when "it".

Clint has to give it up to the kid's ingenuity. He finds him in some pretty strange hideaway spots like ventilation shafts and cabinets. He usually manages to find the kid before time runs out though Loki has also managed to elude him a few times. The kid is also just as good at sussing him out as well. Clint's pride thinks that Loki lucked out a few times, and one of the times the kid had called his cell and followed the ringtone ("With the exception of JARVIS, you said nothing else about other technological aids."), but he'll also admit he's just plain good.

So now with this last round and the score tied, Clint relentlessly searches because his competitive streak urges him to. He's rifled through the ceiling and various pieces of furniture and still cannot find him. With a sigh, he checks his watch just as the last of his time ticks away. Point, Loki.

"Okay, you win!" he calls out to the open air.

From behind him, he hears a rustling, and his eyes nearly jump out of his skull at the sight of the beanbag chair moving of its own volition. Then the zipper unzips, and Loki comes crawling out spitting out the material of the chair as he does.

"How the hell do you come up with these hiding spots?"

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste, Agent Barton, so I recommend you start stretching yours," he replies with his little mischievous smile.

Clint knows it's a sign that he's succumb to the kid when he reacts to that statement with a roll of the eyes and a thorough ruffling of the kid's hair rather than an urge to stab him through the eye with an arrow.

Loki swats his hands away and tries to smooth down his tousled hair. "Do you and Stark have a vendetta against my hair?"

The archer smirks and narrows his eyes at him. Clint decides to go for broke and gets the kid into a headlock as he mercilessly gives him a noogie. The squawks of protest are music to his ears.


	7. Day at the Movies

Natasha wishes she could have had a camera on her to capture the look on Tony's face when he saw her and Loki sitting on the couch watching a movie. He's speechless for once, and it's another little check in the corner for reasons to hang around the kid. Part of her ruffles at the idea the he believes her to be completely devoid of maternal instincts or an ability to be near children. But most of her is glad for him to be stunned into a stupor.

Unfortunately, the silence doesn't last for long as Tony tries blubbering out nonsense about Loki needing to movie, and Natasha's supposed ineptness with children.

Loki's head whips towards the billionaire, and though she can't see his expression, she imagines it's one of fierce petulance. He brings a finger to his lips and makes a 'shushing' noise. "Proper etiquette dictates that one must be quiet during the viewing of a film," says the kid in a stage whisper. "So please refrain from interrupting our viewing experience with your unnecessary commentary." Loki then faces the television once more with rapt attention which Natasha's pretty sure is 70 percent faked just to make a point with Tony.

And indeed from her peripherals, he appears as flabbergasted as ever. He doesn't move though, so she takes the initiative by slowly stretching her arm out and placing her hand into her hair. She roots around for the intended hairpin and then flicks it out so it embeds in the wall near Stark's head. With a squawk, he finally gets the point and backtracks from the room muttering something about crazy Russians.

Settling her arm against the back of the couch, her other hand grabs some popcorn from the bowl nestled between the two of them and munches on the salty treat. Though her eyes seem to be trained on the large flatscreen television mounted on the wall, her attention is focused on the kid. He also only has half of his attention devoted to the animated film playing before them.

"Haven't you seen this movie around five times in the past week," she comments in a low tone.

"It is still no excuse for Stark to intrude," counters Loki.

Natasha hums her agreement and tries focusing her attention back on the animated feature playing before them. The kid has a knack for watching movies that hit a bit too close to home.

Clint jokingly recommended the two brothers watch The Lion King so they could see an animal version of their life played out for general audiences. Not knowing better ("Singing lions? Are not these animals the fiercest predators on this realm?"), they had sat down to watch it only to hurriedly eject the movie about thirty minutes in. It had taken the rest of the day for Thor to console his sobbing brother and reassure him that their relationship no longer resembled the one in the film. If anything, it would not be so easy to kill Thor, and resurrection had become a hobby for the thunder god (as well as the trickster god, but Loki scoffed at the idea of being betrayed by Thor). The jest made Loki cry even harder, and Thor frantically rubbed more circles into his back. Finally, hiccupping and red-eyed, Loki fell asleep against his brother vowing to never finish the movie and to destroy every copy in spite of its supposed "classic" status.

After that disaster, Bruce suggested Lilo and Stitch. He found it to be a quirky tale and thought they might appreciate Disney's take on alien life forms. This time the brothers made it through the entire film, but wet eyes still plagued them. Once again, Loki was a sniffling mess who curled into Thor's lap and declared that their little family was indeed "still good." With a shimmer in his own eyes, his older brother agreed that he would indeed never stop giving up on or loving him.

The entire Disney animated catalog was very close to being stricken from the list of movies to recommend to Loki until Tony handed over Iron Giant. Tony himself hadn't seen it, but he reasoned that any movie with a fun 50's B-horror throwback vibe couldn't be fraught with angst. That assumption was horrendously proven wrong when Clint walked in on the kid clutching a couch cushion to his person with silent tears streaming down his face. The archer tried his own brand of awkward comfort before Thor had shown up. In the face of his older brother, Loki set aside the cushion and made it known that he was who he chose to be and who he chose to be was a new Loki. To his credit, Thor had nodded along with this declaration and ruffled his brother's hair to Loki's consternation.

So now, Natasha discovers Loki's weird sense of humor as he had chosen to watch Anastasia. She was pulled in by the truckload of historical accuracies (the Bolshevik Revolution with neither hide nor hair of Lenin?) and continued to endure because of the catchy tunes and further butchering of Russian culture.

Then the core issue of the title red-headed character and her memory problems struck something inside of Natasha. The desire to differentiate between what was real and what was unknown. That hunger of self-exploration to discover who you really were. Of course, Natasha's life has been more fast-paced even if an undead, soulless priest was after Anastasia. Escaping from a derailing train was what the spy would call a Tuesday.

Inevitably, the heroine's past life is restored to her through the power of family and scented triggers. Natasha would scoff but considering who she's sitting next to, the smell of peppermint seems more believable than a magical hammer with electrical properties.

"How did you find the film?" he asks as the movie ends with the happy couple twirling in circle.

"Satisfying if a little…"

"Unrealistic?" offers the kid.

"Well there's a certain suspension of disbelief that goes into watching a children's animated film that includes a singing bat," reasons the Russian.

"I can't burrow in that excuse when it chooses to use certain real life elements such as an orphanage," points out Loki.

The singling out of an orphanage, which had really only had about a five second appearance in the movie, has Natasha scrutinizing the little god. Not even Thor had been able to tell them about Loki's pre-reinstated life. He just insisted that that he had brought Loki back and that was all there was to it. A dig into SHIELD files told her that the kid had a stint on the streets of Paris. Her own experience with orphanages is non-existent as the Red Room was on a whole other level.

"If you want slightly realistic yet child-friendly depictions of orphanages then I would steer you towards Annie."

"I don't relish in reliving the experience as sugar-coated as it may be. The best resolution is to just get out."

She knows he is not referring to adoption though she could point out that Thor essentially did that. The kid definitely has a ton of baggage and while most of it stems from trying to get out of the shadow of his former life, she thinks that there may also be a shred of the little street kid who scurried around wondering what the hell was coming next. But now he has built up a little family that's just not Thor. As reluctant as she may be around him, he's not entirely horrible. At all. It was good to let him know that.

She grabs a handful of popcorn and chucks it at the kid which he balks at. "Everyone's a critic," she comments as she grabs another handful to put in her mouth.


	8. Farewell for Now

Thor peers through the doorway into Loki's room to check on him and sees a sight that has become awfully familiar since their permanent fixture in the tower. The reincarnated god sits cross-legged on his bed with his Starkpad perched in his lap. His fingers go between dragging down the screen and occasionally poking at it in a quick flurry. Thor clears his throat to make his presence known. The way Loki peers up is as if he knew Thor was there all along.

"Have you come to say farewell?" asks Loki matter-of-factly.

Thor nods and notes the way the young trickster avoids eye contact. "You have endured my absence before."

"For missions and quick jaunts to Asgard, yes," responds the child in a flat tone that Thor suspects is being used to disguise his dejection.

Thor enters the room and kneels by the bed only to still be taller than his brother. He claps a hand to the boy's shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. "I will hopefully return in a fortnight at the least. Would you like a souvenir from Alfheim?"

The question draws a snort from Loki and a little roll of his eyes. A small smile dawns on his face, and Thor is glad for it. "Now that you mention it, I hear they have a most masterful command over light crystals. If you could procure me such a figurine made from then, I would be most delighted."

"Consider it done." The silence between them is less awkward which Thor now feels is a good time for his next point.

"You will of course heed the words of my shield-comrades while I am absent?"

"Have I not heeded them already? And besides, I find some of them to be much less mature than they claim to be."

"Loki," says Thor testily.

The little trickster god sighs though Thor feels most of it is an act though. Then again, there is no telling with his brother. "Yes, yes, yes. I will make sure to mind myself around our housemates while you are away. Though I cannot be held accountable for any actions I must take against Stark or Barton. They both have quite the devious mind, and I will not be outdone by mere Midgardians."

Now it is Thor's turn to his eyes to the heavens. But he also cannot help but smile at Loki's use of the plural in reference to the Avengers. "Did I not say that they would prove themselves to be worthy?"

"In my defense, I did say they were interesting," replies Loki. "Though I will also concede they are indeed most enjoyable company. I will not be completely bored in your absence. Especially with Dr. Banner's alter-ego."

Thor's face grimaces at this last statement. "I would prefer if you did not provoke Banner into shifting. And besides," he continues as he sees Loki about to protest, "I hear that he will also soon depart to the land of India to practice his healing arts on a village he once dwelled in that has unfortunately encountered a most treacherous malady."

This time Loki cannot disguise his sulk, and he takes a jab at the screen of his tablet. "At least there always my allies from the interwebs."

Thor curiously cranes his neck over at the tablet, and all he sees is a scroll of continuous words which appear on the screen. An ongoing conversation it would seem. An eyebrow raised in question. "I thought you said the Midgardians of the Internet were primarily obsessed with chronicling their lovemaking and sharpening their verbal wits against each other?"

"I would not say that they sharpen their tongues so much as continually beat one over the head with supposedly 'witty' remarks which really just wear at one's restraint and demonstrate an their absolute stubborn pigheadedness. Though the documentation of their rutting remains true."

Thor's eyebrows turn down in disapproval. "I do not think that I approve of—"

"I have made sure to stay away from such sights since my initial discovery," interrupts Loki. "The friends I have made are full of interesting anecdotes and do not accuse my every statement to be a lie. I find it reassuring."

Thor holds in his sigh. "I am glad to hear it," is all he says and decides to leave it at that. He then feels a weight on his head which signifies that Heimdall requests his presence.

"I am afraid that I must now take my leave. Be good. Or as close to that as you can be." As he rises, Loki decides to throw his arms around his neck so as to rise with him. His thin arms squeeze as tightly as they can, and his head nestles into his shoulder. Thor gives him a sturdy one-armed squeeze in return.

"I will miss you," whispers a voice into his ear.

"And I, you," replies Thor softly. He holds his brother for a few more moments longer before regretfully letting go.

As Thor gets swept into a flash of light out on Tony's terrace, he makes a note to have Stark educate him about the Internets upon his return.


	9. Meet Slender20

Boredom eventually finds him towards the beginning of the third week of Thor's absence. Loki will say he made a good effort at staving it off for those other two weeks. Stark is as entertaining as ever to pester what with his love of hard science and unwillingness to concede in magic's superiority. Their debates could last for days if not for Rogers' and Barton's interference.

Rogers takes him on tours of the city and points out favorite haunts or more like places where his haunts used to be. Regardless of how much the city has changed, the two of them still manage to discover some great new places like a nice little retro café that serves delicious milkshakes.

He and Barton keep testing each other's subterfuge skills. The archer has also deigned to show off some of the basics of his craft. Of course, Loki made sure he was no slouch in that department which had provoked Barton to form a competition between the two of them with all sorts of impromptu targets. It was great fun until Stark put a stop to it citing all of the holes in his furniture and walls.

Natasha continues to be the best movie partner with an excellent taste in snacks though it becomes a sly game of who can eat the most during the film. She also gives him advice on how to better conceal the weapons he keeps on his person after a needle he keeps in his shirt clatters on to the floor.

He is most delighted that Banner does not leave immediately after Thor. He spends two whole days trying to get the Hulk out before Banner finally pats him on the head and tells him better luck for when he returns from India.

So now Loki turns his interest to his online friends. Most of them only know that he somehow lives near Avengers tower (he has learned by now that Midgardians on the internet do not accept everything at face value even with hardened proof), and they express jealousy at the fact that he is exposed to the actual Avengers on a more regular basis than them. Many an Internet fight has broken out over who is the best one, and Loki adamantly makes a case for his brother each and every time. He is not alone in this endeavor either.

Aside from the acquaintances who do not bother scratching the surface (their loss), there is one ally who he has happened to have confided many tales to. This person goes by the name of Slender20 and was one of the few people to actually believe the fantastical things he had posted about Asgard. From there, they had built a correspondence wherein Loki had told him about certain things such as his magical capabilities, and the fears he had concerning his brother. In turn, Slender20 confesses to being a bit on the older side and discusses some of the obstacles he encounters in his career as a photographer.

The topic of meeting in real life has been broached in the past, but Loki always desists as something with either Thor or another Avenger ends up coming up. Slender20 makes a joke about Loki being unwilling to meet up with such an "uncool, old man" such as himself to which the young god says that he is already surrounded by such people so one more would not hurt him so that is not the issue. He also states he will be the judge of how cool Slender20 really is.

So now is the perfect time to finally schedule a meet-up. They conveniently live close enough for such a thing to be possible, and Loki insists they meet up at the café he found with Rogers so they may enjoy the milkshakes. They choose a time, and Loki prepares.

Though he has adapted to Midgardian styles, he wants to dress to impress for his Internet friend. He dons his Asgardian tunic with the hood, black leggings, and simple boots with knives hidden in the soles. He opts to leave the headgear behind and save it for another time. He loads the coordinates for the café into the GPS of his Starkphone in case his memory fails him (which he highly doubts, but it never hurts to have a backup plan). Ready to go, he now searches for someone to inform of his outing.

It's not that he's adverse to the idea of an Avenger accompanying him so much that he desires to go out and do something on his own. Though he appreciates the fact that Thor desires his safety, he does miss the days when he could go as he pleased around Asgard and the accompanying town of Broxton. It can be a bit stifling to be watched over all the time. So really, he is rather relieved when he cannot find anyone (to be fair, he wasn't trying that hard anyway) and can simply leave a note with JARVIS to let someone know where he has gone when they ask for him. He tampers down any niggling of guilt by pointing out to himself he is not breaking any set of rules. Thor told him to abide by his shield brethren, and none have said that he is to go out alone. Yes, it was something that was understood but never actually stated aloud.

He strides out the door and arrives at the café with little fanfare. He does attract the random eye, but any passerby shakes off his appearance as many other Midgardians of this particular city are apt to do.

He perches on a barstool at the counter and places his order. As he sips down the dessert, he takes note of someone taking a seat on the deserted stool next to his. From the corner of his eye, he discerns the man to be of a reedy disposition with square rimmed glasses and a particularly outdated sweater vest. He places a large bag between their two stools. He would label the man by the supposedly odious term of an individual who is more in tune with hips than others except for his full head of hair, which is neatly combed and styled back, and lack of a beard.

His eyes dart forward as he feels the man sneak his own look at him. His mouth continues to try and extract more milky goodness through his straw when the man next to him clears his throat.

"MischiefMaker616?"

Loki sucks even harder on his milkshake before unlatching from the straw and turning to the man next to him. The man next to him looks at him hopefully, but Loki will neither confirm nor deny his assumption. He wants to hear the confirmation from the man himself and not be the one to venture a guess of his own.

"It's, uh… It's me. Slender20."

Loki scrutinizes the man and finds him to be nothing he expected. While the persona he has gotten to know online could be quite accepting, he feels the man before him to be a bit on the aloof side. From the way the man nervously taps his foot against the rung of his barstool, he perceives him to be an anxious sort of man. Markedly different from the person online who always has some clever quip at hand (though not quite as clever as Loki's but whose really are). Being in this man's presence leaves him a bit cold with a strange feeling. If anything, his username does accurately represent his physique, and Loki suspects the bag is the man's camera gear.

"You are not as old as your portrayed yourself to be," is what he finally chooses to say.

The man chuckles breathily. "You should talk. You're barely out of middle school."

"Appearances, as you should know, can be deceiving," retorts Loki as his finger plays with the rim of his glass.

The man watches the motion before his eyes rake over Loki's form. His head tilts to the side, and a crooked smile crawls across his face. "I'll drink to that," he says as he lightly flicks the glass.

"So…" Slender20 fingers the thick stem of his own milkshake glass. "What did you have planned for today? Walk in the park? Trip to a museum? Catch a movie?"

Loki schools his face into an apologetic expression. "I intended for this to be a simple meet-up where we finally make each other's acquaintance in the flesh. Any future activities must be put aside for another day."

Disappointment clouds the other man's face, and he runs a hand through his combed back hair. "Ah, come on. You seem to lead a hectic life, and you're saying that our first meet-up is just going to be this? I don't even know your name. My name's Jeff by the way." He holds out a hand for Loki to shake.

Loki stares at the proffered hand and finds no harm in giving in to this one friendly gesture. He takes the hand and shakes slowly. "Loki," is all he says.

"A unique name for a unique kid," compliments Jeff.

This manages to draw a small smile from Loki and opens the door for them to slip into the banter characteristic of their online personas. Loki doesn't delve into the topic of how he came to be in New York but rather remains on the topic of older brothers and the peculiarities of his magic. Jeff listens attentively and nods along to every word Loki says. It's a great feeling.

Eventually, he checks his phone out of habit and marvels at how much time has passed. A large part of him is relieved there are no messages on his phone demanding him to come back this instant or someone bursting through the glass to personally retrieve him. A smaller part of him stings at having gone unnoticed for this amount of time.

"I am afraid I must be leaving now," states Loki as he subtly snaps a picture of Jeff with his phone. "It was pleasant finally putting a face to the name."

Jeff's eyes light up as Loki hops off his barstool and makes for the door. He snatches up his bag, slaps some money on the counter, and chases after. "Hey! Do you need me to give you a ride back? Dangerous city for a kid like you to be walking all alone."

Loki smirks up at him. "I have encountered worse before. I will be fine."

"Not sure if you're being stubborn or brave, but I can see there's no point in arguing with you." He claps his hands together and rubs them presumably for warmth. "But what about you escorting me back to my car? I'm a bit yellow."

Loki's eyes narrow at the request as well as the strange turn of phrase. "But you are completely pale bordering on translucent."

Jeff tilts his head back and laughs. "God, you are something else." He tilts his head in the direction of where his car is presumably parked. "So how 'bout it?"

He figures he might as well go along as he has no plans to reconnect with Jeff in the near future. He follows him down a few more streets to a remarkably small car which resembles a tortoise. Loki raises an eyebrow at the sight of it. This car is definitely a joke in the face of the army of luxury cars Stark has stored in the tower.

Jeff fondly pats the car before going for his bag. Confirming Loki's earlier suspicion, he pulls out a professional looking camera, twists off the cap, and aims it at Loki.

"How about a picture? You know. Capture the moment."

Before Loki can decline the offer, Jeff adjusts the front part of it and snaps off a picture. Loki feels a pinching in his neck akin to a bug bite, and his hand flies up to swat the creature. Instead he feels something thin protruding out. Plucking it out, he finds it to be a thin needle. He looks up at Jeff in shock and has to blink several times as there are multiple copies of the bespectacled man in front of him. He opens his mouth to say something—anything—only to feel another pinching sensation in his neck.

He staggers forward and is caught by the photographer. He tries pushing the man away, but his arms will not obey his fuzzy thought process. It is a battle to keep his eyes open, and the last thing he sees before darkness takes him is that crooked smile stretching across Jeff's face.


	10. Amber Alert

For Tony, Thor's return isn't marked by bright flashes or a deafening rumble of thunder. Instead, he finds out about his teammate's arrival when JARVIS cuts off his mood music that's blasting in the lab.

"Sir, Agent Barton strongly requests your presence in the common area," announces the A.I.

"Define 'strongly'," instructs Tony as he'd rather finish up his little project down here.

Clint's angry voice blares all around him as if the archer had anticipated such an answer. "Tony, you better haul your ass up here right this goddamn second."

It's the clenched, angry way he says it which stirs Tony rather than the wording. With a dusting of his hands against each other, he rises and makes his way up to the designated room. Upon arriving, finds Clint and Thor waiting for him. The atmosphere is less than comfortable.

He claps his hands together in an attempt to break the ice and quips, "Hey, Hammertime. How was elfland? Don't tell me all the awesome souvenirs are gone, and I'm just getting a crappy t-shirt."

"Loki's missing," cuts in Clint sharply.

"Are you sure? How do you know he's not just nestled in a vent somewhere playing the insane version of Hide and Seek that you two are so fond of?"

"Because I asked JARVIS where he was and your little computer program informed me that he'd left two goddamn hours ago to meet a friend," answers the archer tersely.

Tony's gut starts to roil, but he refuses to give in to the worst possibilities just yet. "Okay, so he ran off unchaperoned to go on an outing. We'll just pick him up, and Thor can give him as many spankings as he wants."

"Natasha and the Captain have gone to retrieve my brother," says Thor uneasily.

"Okay, then I'm not seeing the problem here. Loki gives us all heart attacks, we drag his ass back, give him a stern after-school talking to, and—"

"It's worse than that," interrupts Clint. He jerks his head at Thor. "Show him."

Thor looks troubled as he brings out Loki's Starkpad. "I will have words with my brother for leaving the tower unattended but how harshly must I reprimand his Internet allies?"

Tony completely sobers up at this comment and snatches the Starkpad from the big guy's hands. He scrolls through the page and feels cold dread settle over him as he reads the conversation between Loki, and some person named after a terrifying Internet meme. The familiarity their exchange has prickles at Tony and suggests this is not their first conversation. It ends with them agreeing to meet at a café for milkshakes. He rakes a hand through his hair and lets out a deep breath. "Guess he missed the stranger danger talk about internet predators."

Thor straightens up at that last word while Clint huffs out at what he perceives to be an ill-timed quip. "And how come he didn't get one of these talks before?"

"Hey! I didn't see you taking him aside to sit him down and explain the evils of the Internet," says Tony defensively.

"Cause I assumed that you with all your technological know-how would've done it!" argues Clint. "I mean, Jesus, don't you have safety filters and parental locks with airtight passwords and shit?"

"No, I even gave him a list of naughty websites to visit," bites back Tony sarcastically. "Of course I did! He just kept finding a way around all of them! He's a smart kid!"

"Exactly! He's a kid! As intelligent as he is, there's still crap out there he's unaware about!" Clint takes a step closer to get into Tony's personal space.

"Well I shouldn't be solely responsible for this oversight!" Not to be intimidated, Tony also moves closer so that the two of them are mere inches apart. "I wasn't the only one letting him go around unsupervised."

The two are suddenly jerked apart by Thor who looks between the two of them seriously. "How much danger is my brother in?" interrupts the god in his booming outside voice. Both men startle having momentarily forgotten about him. The grip he maintains on his hammer suggests he is ready to go flying out the window at any given moment.

Tony sends a quick glare at Clint having now figured out why else he's here. "Thor, buddy," he says at a volume lower than the tone he'd been arguing in, "you're going to need to sit down for this."

"I prefer to take whatever news you have for me while standing," says Thor gruffly.

Tony rocks back on his heels before clapping his hand together with a loud smack. "All right then. There's no easy way to say this." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose then lets that hand fall limply to his side. "Your brother's been possibly lured away by a child predator."

"Some sick fuck who gets his jollies off to little kids," clarifies Clint darkly.

Thor's blond brows furrow together at the archer's jargon, and the two mortals exchange an uncomfortable look. Tony speaks up, "Unfortunately, there are people who are sexually attracted to children, and—"

"And such a person has contacted my brother," concludes Thor. His face goes terrifyingly blank as his jaw clenches shut. He turns to fully face Clint, and Tony envies how the archer can just stand still in the face of such quiet anger. "Where did the Widow and the Captain go?"

As if on cue, Clint's communicator goes off at that moment. He answers it immediately, and after a tense moment, his face falls.

"You mind telling the rest of us the news," says Tony though he has a sinking feeling he knows what it is.

Clint presses a button to the other end on speaker and says, "Say that again, Natasha."

The spy is silent for a few moments before saying, "He's not here. One of the waiters told us he left half an hour ago with a man."

"What? No descriptions?" asks Tony.

"Nothing useful except for the fact that he wears glasses," supplies Steve.

Clint mutters a curse, and Tony is about to snap the Starkpad in hand in half until an idea hits him. "Wait! I can track his phone. Stand by for new coordinates." He calls on JARVIS to narrow down the signal for Loki's phone, and soon enough he relays those coordinates to Steve and Natasha.

The three men wait impatiently to hear back from the duo and flinch at the sound of Tony's communicator going off. He answers it quickly and makes sure it's on speaker. "Is he there?"

"Tony," starts out Steve in a somber tone which has Tony's stomach falling through all the floors of the towers and through the ground below, "there's no one here. It's just his phone."

The silence which follows after seems to drag on forever until Thor asks, "Where is my brother?"

"We don't know," answers Clint softly as if that weren't already obvious.

"But we're sure as hell going to find out," adds Tony in a determined tone.


	11. No-No Square

Loki awakes slowly with a groan only to realize the very noise is muffled due to something being shoved in his mouth. He pokes at it tentatively with his tongue to find it is some sort of material. When he attempts to remove it, his hand barely gets far from his body. His eyes snap open to find himself lying on a sparse cot. Peering down his body, he tries moving his hands again, but they clank noisily and do not move more than a few inches in any direction from his body. Feeling each wrist, there are manacles affixed to them with the ensuing chains wrapping around his waist. Moving his feet, he is irritated to feel they are also similarly bound together.

He turns his head and pushes out whatever was gagging him. He grimaces upon seeing it is a sock. Glancing around the room, it is windowless, and the single door is closed with no door knob on his side which means it is most likely locked. He pulls on his chains again, and they remain firm which has him sighing in frustration.

He focuses in on his small reserve of magic and calls on it to dissolve his bonds. Just as he feels it about to manifest itself on the outside of his body, something else jolts his limbs and violently suppresses whatever magic he was about to use. He cries out and squirms at the momentary pain and has to breathe in and out for several minutes to regain his composure.

Loki could kick himself (or preferably Jeff) for letting his captor know about his magical capabilities no matter how small they were. This is worse than any strain he has previously put on himself. Whereas his usual attempts at magic left him drained or exhausted, these chains seem to inflict pain as an incentive to keep his magic bound.

This newfound sense of vulnerability has him scrambling to sit up on the edge of the bare bedding. With great effort, he manages to bring his bound legs up to his hands and feels along the heels of his boots. He sighs in relief as his dagger has been left unperturbed, and he conceals it up his sleeve.

Placing his feet back on the ground, he stands and shuffles towards the door with both sets of chains making an awful amount of noise despite how little he tries to move. He walks around his room and finds nothing else useful. The only thing of note is a curious metal ring welded into the ground. Pressing himself against the door, he hears no movement on the other side. Taking another chance, he presses both his palms against the door and tries to summon just the smallest spark of magic. Once again, the painful jolt seizes him, and he cannot suppress his cry of distress.

Leaning against the door to regain his breath, he finally hears noises on the other side. He quickly hops back to the small cot and makes it appear as if he is still unconscious. After the groaning of the door, he listens to the soft padding of footfalls before he feels someone looming over him. Loki wills himself to keep breathing normally as a hand gently redirects his head in the direction of the door. That same hand continues to stroke at his face, and much of Loki's patience and restraint is used to keep from biting this man's fingers off as they trace his lips.

"You're such a prize," whispers that wretched voice from a few hours ago. Loki wonders how he hadn't detected that sinister undertone while they had been talking in the café.

As that hand pushes back his unruly hair, Loki decides now is the time to "wake up." He emits a soft sigh and opens his eyelids slowly with several languid blinks. When his eyes focus in on the smiling spectacled man before him, he represses the urge to headbutt him and chooses instead to feign shock.

He gasps and tries moving backwards. He acts as if his limited mobility is a complete surprise to him at this very moment. He effects a stammer when he asks, "Wh-where am I?"

Jeff's smile stretches even farther across his face, and his hand tenderly holds the side of Loki's head. "Don't worry about that. It doesn't really matter."

Loki's brows furrow at such an answer, and he successfully pulls his head away from this man's touch. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course it does! One moment I intend to wish you farewell, and the next I awaken in your dingy little room in chains and—MMMMPH"

Infuriatingly enough, Jeff clamps his hand over Loki's mouth to cut off his rant. He makes angry noises at the man and tries to shake him off, but Jeff maintains a steady grip. He still has that insipid smile plastered to his face. "Gosh, you're wordy for a little guy. Of course, the way you carried yourself online I couldn't believe you were a kid at first. All verbose and formal English." His other hand waves about in the air. "Then surprise, surprise! You were! And that's not the only surprise you had in store, was it?"

It's then that Loki bites down hard on the inside of one of Jeff's fingers, and the kidnapper cries out. Loki clamps down even harder until he feels blood in his mouth, and then a harsh slap to the face forces him to release the finger.

Jeff curses colorfully, and then a hand grips his face to force his mouth open so the sock can go back in. He glares spitefully at the man and throws his own muffled curses back. His kidnapper's lips simply purse, and he balls his injured hand into the fabric of his thick sweater vest. "Your new owner's got a handful coming to him," he mutters.

At Loki's affronted noise, Jeff has the gall to simper at him. "Did I forget to mention that? You're too much of a prize for me to just keep to myself, and I've always believed in sharing." A hand lands on Loki's leg and sturdily remains there even as he tries to buck it off. "An outright god," the hand rubs his lower leg. "Full of magic," the hand lazily makes its way to underneath his knee. "And all in a most malleable and adorable package," hisses Jeff as he flashes all his teeth to the trickster. Loki bites down on the sock in an attempt to keep his face blank as he feels the uninjured hand resting on his thigh as if it belongs there.

"And untouched too," muses Jeff as an afterthought. "Though 'buyer beware' and all that. I mean, who could blame me for sampling the goods, and as you surely know by now, the Internet makes liars of us all." Loki glowers at him as Jeff leans right into his face.

And just as that hand creeps somewhere Loki damn well knows it should not be going, he grips his hidden dagger and thrusts it into Jeff's arm. As the man screams out, Loki doesn't hesitate to stab him two more times and then deliver a mighty headbutt into his loathsome face.

Jeff falls back to the floor and recognizing he cannot get far, Loki chooses to incapacitate his captor even more. He lunges off the cot and onto the mortal and starts digging his weapon into whatever he can reach. The bespectacled man grunts with each blow before finally throwing up his knee which lands in Loki's gut and shoves the breath from his lungs.

Taking advantage of this momentary incapacitation, Jeff uses his taller build to try and wrestle the weapon from Loki's hands. The young god lashes out with his feet and wriggles as best he can, and even when he's disarmed, he continues to push back with all of the adrenaline in him. This is how he finds out what the ring in the floor is for as he finds his movement even more restrained as Jeff stands away from him stooped over and panting.

"That's going into your profile," wheezes Jeff.

Loki shoves out the sock and spits at the man's feet. "You have made a grave error, and though I am not usually prone to violence, I will take great delight in watching your head succumb to the weight of my brother's wrath."

One eye twitches from behind the glasses, and Jeff stares as if really seeing the kid for the first time. "Yeah, well you're not seeing jack-shit 'til I've gotten you off my hands," replies the man lamely. As he walks to the door, Loki delights in how much damage he has managed to inflict as Jeff is staggering out of the room. The last sounds he is left with are of the locks being put back in place on the other side and after that, it's just the clinking of his chains as he tries to figure a way out of this.


	12. Change of Targets

"Got it!" yells Tony in triumph as he peers intently at his holographic screen. The sound of his cheer quickly brings his teammates to gather beside him and listen intently.

"You have located the whereabouts of my brother?" asks Thor eagerly. It had taken much convincing to get the thunder god to remain in the tower rather than tear apart the city in search of Loki. Especially after three hours of waiting.

"More or less so," answers Tony.

"More or less? We need specifics, Tony," states Steve sternly.

Tony's lips purse into a thin line in the face of this comment. "Well that's what I've got for you, Cap. I mean, it was nothing to hack into that joke of a site and find out this asshole's real name but getting his location was something else. Seems he's a slippery bastard who bounces around from server to server with differing IP addresses—"

"Cut the technological crap and get to the point," bursts Clint shortly. "Like what the hell we're supposed to be looking at right now."

Tony glares at Clint but doesn't snap back at him. "I've finally pinned him down," explains the tech-savvy man.

"Great," responds Steve before Clint can fire off another angry, pointed barb. "Now how about telling us where we need to go."

Tony keeps staring at the screen in front of him with eyes continually narrowing. "No prob…" he abruptly trails off as his eyes suddenly widen in horror, and his hands drop to the side. "..lem," he finishes lamely.

His other teammates crowd around to see what has caught him off-guard, and it is Natasha who finally manages to project whatever is on the small screen to enlarge so all can see. And what they see produces silence and a mutual feeling of gut-wrenching dread.

What they have found is a private chat room. On the upper half of the screen are pictures of Loki. Some are of him unconscious and laid out on a cot. Others are of him glaring at the camera with an intense hatred unbefitting his young face. The green in his eyes are so sharp they threaten to melt the screen. In these pictures he's seated on the floor in a strange position. The chains around his hands and ankles are not hard to miss.

Underneath the pictures is a short paragraph stating the purpose of this page, and it just makes their skin crawl:

_Your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a gift from the heavens._

_ This magical boy is your ticket to the divine._

_ Ageless and pure but also has a bit of a temper, knack for trickery, and a way with words._

_ A lifetime of pleasure awaits you should you obtain this little god. Starting bid at $10,000._

Beneath the description is a chat box with multiple aliases quickly making bids. To the team's collective alarm, the bids have reached the millions.

"Where is this place?" finally asks Clint with a savage undertone to his question.

This breaks the uneasy trance that had settled over the team, and everyone turns towards Tony who now fiddles with something on a smaller screen of his. He relays the address, and Thor immediately marches towards the stairs leading to the terrace. Steve strides to stop him.

"Wait. You can't just go storming off on your own. We need—"

"I'll go with you," volunteers Clint immediately. He's already got his quiver of arrows loaded, and his compact bow in its more transportable mode. He walks up to the thunder god, and the duo continues up the stairs in a fury.

"Thor," calls out Steve again, and it is a testament to how much the Asgardian respects the captain that he halts in place. His grip on his hammer noticeably tightens though. "As tempting as it is, do not kill him," orders Steve. "Contain him, incapacitate him if necessary, but leave him alive."

The archer is about to rebut with some cutting remark about the likeliness of that happening when Thor's low rumble of voice cuts in without the god turning around. "I will have words with him, Rogers." The tone of his voice suggests that 'words' will not simply be a verbal exchange but before anything else can be said, they are out of sight and most assuredly on their way.

Steve runs a hand down his face and sighs. He turns towards the remaining two members. "Tony, do you mind suiting up? Looks like we're going to have to head in as well to stop him from decimating this guy."

"Can't say I blame him," says Natasha, and he doesn't miss the way her fingers twitch as if in anticipation of what she would do to this man if she had gone with Thor instead of Clint.

"Me neither," states Steve, "but that's not the way to go about this no matter how cathartic it would be. Loki's safety is our priority—"

"And it's been compromised," points out Natasha.

"Yes, so we go in, and we re-secure it, and we do what we can to make it sure it doesn't happen again," instructs the Captain. "Without resorting to those measures," he adds at the darkening of her face. She doesn't let up, and his mouth presses into a thin line. He glances over at Tony who is still rooted in place. "Tony? I know you feel bad, but we're all to blame. But now's not the time to—"

"There's something wrong," interrupts the billionaire.

Steve's forehead crinkles, and he steps next to his teammate to peer at the continuously scrolling screen with higher and higher bids. Natasha's head also tilts to the side in trying to scrutinize what Tony is talking about. He points out to the various usernames which pass by in a flurry. The assassin's brow lifts as she seems to catch on to something. For Steve's part, he can make out some of the German usernames and recognizes some of the other usernames to be of Eastern European origin though he could not translate them. The usernames he can decipher are just useless gibberish repeating over and over and…

"It's just the same person needlessly upping his bid," vocalizes Steve.

"A bunch of sock puppet accounts," confirms Tony. "Leading us to believe the auction is still ongoing."

Steve's eyes widen, and he whips out his communicator. "Shit," he curses under his breath, "they're basically flying into a trap."

"Hold on to your shield, Cap," says Tony. "This was a real auction, and there were real bids. These fake ones have just been clogging up the server for the past hour."

Steve's brain races as to who would be trying to delay them asides from the kidnapper when the implication of Tony's sentence hits him. "Wait. Are you saying…"

"The transaction's already been completed," finishes Natasha shakily.

Steve curses again. "Even more of an impetus to get there and keep Thor from decimating him. Tony, suit—" The ringing of his communicator interrupts that thought, and he notes Clint's face on the screen before he puts it to speaker while answering it. "Barton, the auction—"

"He's dead," cuts in Clint.

All three pairs of eyes widen at this news, and they are momentarily stunned into silence. "Wh-what?" finally stutters Tony.

"Someone got to the asshole before we could," explains Clint, and the three Avengers sigh in relief as they realize he's talking about the kidnapper.

"Jesus, Barton," grouses Tony. "You need to retake those classes about your bedside manner."

"Have you found Loki?" asks Steve.

The silence on the other end is telling before a frustrated sigh is heard. "No," admits the archer. "He was obviously here, but we missed the boat again." A rumble is heard on the other end, and in the distance, they can see a very dark blot in the otherwise clear sky. "But you need to see this body. It's some weird shit."

"In what ways?" promptly questions Steve.

"For starters, his windpipe is totally crushed, but the marks suggest it was done one-handed and that this hand isn't just made of skin and bones."

"There were also remnants of a hostile lightning left on the dishonored dead," chimes in Thor. "It is a sensation I have unfortunately experienced before, and I fear we must now increase our efforts to retrieve my brother."

Clint swears over the line as if just realizing something, and both Tony and Natasha's faces fall as if receiving confirmation of horrible news. Steve empathizes the feeling as the pieces unfortunately slot together: the misdirection, the planning ahead, the money, the strange method of death, the Easter European dialects, and the interest in Loki.

As a team, they all seem to breathe out the name of their new target: Doom. Steve almost expects a crack of lightning to be seen in that dark faraway blot but instead he is just treated to the rumble of thunder over the communicator.

They all stand in contemplative silence when the sound of the elevator dinging at the end of the hall alerts them to a new arrival. He lifts his head and hopes against all odds that the kid is going to come strolling in with that impish little grin on his face. Instead, Bruce walks in with just a duffel bag underneath his arm. He has smudges under his eyes but otherwise still wears that tired smile which speaks of contentment.

The doctor looks around at the somber environment and his smile quirks to the side. "Wow. Who died?"

The three other members look at each other having a conversation only with their eyes. Banner's brows turn downward at this. Steve takes the initiative to step forward just as Tony points Bruce towards the stairs. "Better if you hear this outside," reasons the other scientist.

To his credit, the Other Guy does not break free, but Bruce does turn several shades darker. "You guys really know how to welcome someone back."


	13. Welcome to Latveria

A/N: A bunch of references to the stuff Loki and Doom were up to pre-Siege. Also a small throwback to the fact that "Serrure" had terrible nightmares about his past.

* * *

Loki fiddles with the hem of his shirt as he tries not to squirm in his seat. He also resists the urge to look at his new captor though he can feel those eyes boring down on him through the holes in his strange metal mask. He refuses to think of this man as his "master" as no man (or being for that matter) shall ever truly own him, and from the man's own lips he had insisted to not think of him in such terms (though there was an undercurrent to his voice which suggested to Loki that he intended the opposite).

Though the man acts as if it is not true, Loki sees him as another captor as he had point blank ignored his off-handed suggestion to go back home and had absconded with him to this strange new location. His magical restraints were not even removed until they were high in the air in an aircraft and fat lot of good that did him as the suppressors had done the job of draining his abysmally small reserve of magic. Even when it did restore itself, he would be no match against this man's robotic guards (and he is quite the vain fellow to have an army comprised of only doppelgangers).

He continues to stare down at his lap when a voice startles him from his thoughts (though he manages to contain himself). "Is the food not to your liking?"

He looks up to make contact with his imposing host and thinks Thor would be proud of the fact he had managed to keep his back straight the entire time (though Loki always did have the better table manners of the two). "The spread is quite magnificent," says Loki carefully. "I just seem to have no appetite at the moment."

The masked man seated opposite of him steeples his encased fingers (fingers which he vividly remembers crushing the life out of Jeff's squirming body) in front of his face, and Loki perceives those eyes narrowing ever so slightly from behind their designated holes. "How changed you have come to be. Doom once knew you to be quite the voracious eater. Especially after such a trying incident."

Loki holds his head high and attempts to give off no signs of the slight trembling of fear he feels within himself. "Loki wears many guises."

He thinks the man smiles from behind the mask, but the gesture brings him no easiness. "Yes, like the form of an innocent youth?"

The miniature god knows it is in his best interests to keep playing along at whatever this man insinuates lest he be caught up in anything worse. Not to mention the hit his pride would take at not being able to come up with a plan. His smile is slow as he props his own elbow on top of the table and perches his head on this arm. "What better form than to infiltrate my infuriating brother's team of blunderers and gain their trust?"

The steepled fingers lace into each other as Doom mirrors Loki's position. "Your deception needs more work."

"What do you mean?" asks Loki as he tries to keep the bluster out of his voice.

"Clearly you have failed to worm your way into their hearts as you so believe if you have gone so long without their aid. How long were you alone before Doom saved you from that child merchant?"

"I was not rendered entirely helpless," points out Loki defensively. "A plan was in the process of being enacted when you interfered."

"A plan entailing what exactly?"

Loki lifts his head from his arm and purposefully turns away to just give the man his profile. "I am playing that close to my chest as you Midgardians say."

"Doom sees that Loki remains Loki no matter the form," responds the masked man. He sounds somewhat pleased about this piece of information, and Loki does not know whether to be wary or proud of that. "This intrigues Doom loathe I am to admit. It made our partnerships rather… interesting."

To hide his surprise that he worked with such a man in the past, Loki grabs a nearby goblet and swishes it for lack of anything else to do. "Yes, well repetition is the basis of insanity as well as stagnation. I can't have that now can I?"

"Certainly not," agrees Doom. "But Doom requests your presence here lest your false allies catch wind of your duplicitous scheming seeing as you have thusly failed to capture their confidence."

"They care for me," insists Loki sharply. He gulps at the reaction this elicits and runs a finger over the rim of his goblet. Memories of the outings the various Avengers would escort him on flit through his mind. "Or at least they humor me," he says more quietly.

"Then perhaps a trap is in order. Of course, Doom already has several in place, but Doom that trickster mind of yours has been quick to conjure up several more devious ideas."

Loki nods absent-mindedly at this assertion and takes the cup to his lips with the desire to drink. Before the liquid hits his lips though, the smell invades his nostrils. Though the rich, bitter scent is not foreign to him, the presence of another unwelcome scent causes him to hurriedly pull the goblet from his lips. He performs several spit takes though he imbibed nothing and cannot mask his accusing glare at his "host".

"Is it customary to poison one's guests upon welcoming them for the first time into your home?"

Rather than feign ignorance, Doom looks rather…satisfied at this observation. He sits back in his chair, and Loki feels those eyes critically roaming over him. "Astute as ever," praises the man as he lifts a goblet of his own and begins to drink it.

Loki finds himself at a temporary loss as he wonders what his former self was like to entertain such odd company. He can see the mental mind games as being great fun for the wits, but the anxiety of always anticipating the inevitable knife seems draining.

Though he doubts the poison could do him fatal damage, he does not have Volstagg's constitution that he could just blindly eat whatever is put in front of him. Then again, he knows also to not underestimate his enemies and if this man actually knows him as well as he claims, then he could have something potent enough to do him harm. Just then his traitorous stomach rumbles, and he looks at the food with a mouth-watering pang. He wants nothing more than to pick up one of the turkey legs and dig right in, but he doesn't want to deal with the mysterious consequences of such an action. Even the innocuous looking grapes could prove to be deadly.

Lamenting on things he can't have cause him to think about other things he cannot have at the moment. Such as the golden apples Thor shares with him, the foul vegetables the Captain forces on to his plate, or even the sweet corn from the kettle the Lady Widow shared with him on occasion. With another pang, Loki wonders why so much time has gone by without an obvious rescue attempt from them. While he had not truly believed himself to be the center of their respective universes, he had thought that enough of a bridge had been built for them to somewhat care about him. He had gone missing for quite a while by now and yet the sky remained clear of any garish colors and shadows refused to mold into anything other than shapelessness.

Looking up to meet Doom's eyes, he is struck by the fact that this man wants him. Not in the sense of how Thor wants him for reasons of family and love and camaraderie. No. This man's reasons seem to lean more towards the sinister, and Loki is somewhat fascinated by that.

As if sensing this shift towards awe, Doom asks, "Would you like a tour of the castle? Most illuminating things lurk in every corner. Doom proposes starting from the bottom."

The part of Loki which so desperately tries to emulate Thor screams at him to say no. Unfortunately, that part is overruled by the rest of Loki. With a leap off his chair, the miniature god gives the masked man a tight small and curt nod of his head.

Throughout the winding hallways leading to their destination are numerous portraits and paintings. He wants to doddle before each piece and ask why a large majority are either of his host or of a stretchy man suffering through various torturous routines. The brisk pace of the masked man prevents him from taking such an action lest he get lost in the maze of this dark castle.

Then they reach a part of the castle which is barren and reminds him of certain passages in Asgard what with the lack of warmth and imposing nature. This resemblance encourages him to move along briskly so as to escape the uncomfortably familiar atmosphere.

As they make their way through this section which leads to a winding set of stairs, strange sensations begin to curdle in his stomach. They are familiar yet wholly uncomfortable. With each step down, dark, hazy memories begin to poke at the edges of his consciousness. Though these lower levels are inexplicably kept at a comfortable temperature, he finds a chill working through him. The sound of screaming and begging whispers in his ears, and he stops dead on the stairs to clutch at the stone walls with trembling fingers.

He has not felt such feelings in such an intense form for a long time. Though he vaguely remembers his time as a mortal scraping around for a decent place to sleep among other things, he clearly remembers the many times he would awake in a cold sweat. His heart pounding in his chest, his breathing uneven, other children glaring at him as his cries undoubtedly stirred them from an already restless slumber. When he would awake to wipe the errant tears from his face, the dreams which had shaken him would evaporate from his mind. All that would remain was an uneasy flash of malicious glee which gave way to unadulterated terror. But now… Now he can pinpoint with alarming clarity what those nightmares were about.

Mangled bodies strapped down to tables calling up to him in mercy. When mercy was denied (as it always was), those mutilated figures with their carved open chests were quick to spit venom and hatred his way. Then those betrayed bodies would break free from their binds and overpower him. The feel of their blood and internal organs slid over his skin as they would grapple him down to the table and pin him down. Though his own limbs were slick with their blood, he could not slip past the bands keeping him restrained. With writhing horror, he watches as they take up the very tools used on them and turn them against him. And he screams and screams and screams. The screams just echo around and around the cold, unfeeling stone walls, and the only thing that changes is the pitch of his screams as his voice either gives out from hoarseness or one of his former victims slashes his throat to silence him. That doesn't kill him though. He just suffers in silence now.

And at the forefront of all of this was a man. A man encased in metal and wrapped in a cloak. A man bearing a remarkable resemblance to his current captor.

"What has so captured your attention?" asks Doom curiously.

The question snaps Loki from his thoughts, and his neck cranes back in order to look into that masked face which now paralyzes him at a critical moment. Those cold eyes analyze him with their unreadable intentions, and Loki knows he must get out. Whatever thoughts he had entertained of following this man's devious plans flee from his mind as he now focuses on escape. Unfortunately, he realizes that during his horrific flashback his captor had maneuvered behind him so as to block off the easiest escape route.

"I-is it truly necessary to start from down here, Mr. Doom?" blurts Loki having finally found his tongue though that does seem to run regardless of his mind at times. "Working from the top down will allow me a much better view of your great land which I unfortunately missed out on during our landing. Or better yet, we should put the tour off for another day as I feel a draft and am very afraid of your Midgardian illnesses what with my differing constitution." He wraps his arms around himself and rubs for emphasis.

Doom's looming presence crowds Loki's sense of space, and he unconsciously steps backwards so as to create more room. This proves useless though as the doctor slowly follows him down the stairs with his dark green cape billowing out from behind him. "Is that so?" quietly asks Doom as he continues to force Loki further down into the bowels of the castle.

"Wh-why yes, it is," replies Loki. His feet encounter no more stairs, and he bends over to unleash a raucous cough full of exaggerated hacking noises. His posture straightens, and his fist is placed in front of his mouth as his cough tapers off into a weak little thing. "See? So if you do not mind, I—" The words die in his throat as he happens to throw a glance to the room they have arrived in.

It is the room he has dreamt about yet so much worse. Within view is the very slab which has contained many unfortunate victims from his nightmares. Though it is absent of any bodies at the moment, suspicious dark stains remain embedded in the material. Around the slab are various pointy instruments which gleam with promise in the reflected lights of the dungeon. What is even worse are the tubes surrounding the slab. Tubes filled with mutilated floating bodies.

With a gulp, Loki slowly turns back towards Doom and registers the hungry look in the man's eyes. It is not the skin-crawling look Jeff would bestow upon him, but it is disturbing nonetheless. This look speaks of a desire to know Loki from the inside out and figure out how he works in the most literal way possible.

Knowing it is now or never, Loki rears back his foot and swings it as hard as he can at the man's nether regions. Unfortunately, his foot meets with a clang, and he hobbles back with a cry. As the man comes at him, he tries to conjure up anything with which to penetrate the armor with. His arm is caught in a vice grip before he can do such a thing, and he grits his teeth together to stifle the cry from the pain in that grip.

He kicks out with his legs and swings his other arm about, but nothing gives. He renews his efforts upon realizing that he is being dragged towards the slab from his nightmares.

"Please do not do this, Victor!" he pleads with a sob working its way up his throat. "I am your ally!"

Those eyes narrow behind their holes, and the hold on his arm only seems to tighten even more. "What did I tell you, Loki?" asks Doom quietly. "Your deception needs more work."


	14. Cavalry Arrives

Loki bucks up once again only for the straps holding him down to remain firm. He would be grateful for having not partaken in any of the food or drink as it may have made him docile, but now he gets to experience the coming terror with a full lucidity.

He keeps fighting the stinging at the back of his eyes as the intimidating contraption with its many sharp edges bears down on him. The bright light shining into his face also does him no favors. Though the intensity of the beam nearly burns, he still shivers. This can be partly blamed on the fact that Doom has magicked away his clothing save for his undergarments so he can be laid bare before the dictator.

He is too panicked to think up any spells but knows with a certain dread that he wouldn't be able to reach his magic if he could. Whatever holds him down is even more restrictive than the restraints Jeff placed on him.

Doom remains a dark silhouette just beyond the edges of the nearly blinding light. Loki imagines he can still make out the thirsty gaze of those beady eyes. He tries to keep a brave front on despite his uncontrollable shaking. "You-you're making a grave mistake, Victor," he warns with a quavering voice as he tries slipping his limbs from the restraints.

The lethal cutting instrument only comes closer, and Loki is reminded of the time a very naked Sif held a sword to his face. This is infinitely more terrifying as he has no doubt that Doom is about to vivisect him whereas with SIf he was mostly assured that the swordplay was an over-the-top yet effective warning.

"Often has Doom dreamed of this moment," muses the doctor as if Loki had not even spoken. "Differing circumstances of course, but I am not one to pass up such an opportunity."

Loki's next plea is quickly exchanged for a desperate gritting of his teeth as the serrated blade breaks through the skin of his upper chest and pain sears through his body. He clenches both eyes and teeth together so hard that he fears the latter will crack. The inside of his eyelids burns red due to the unnatural brightness of the light bearing down on him.

Images of the enraged and mutilated victims from his nightmares flash beneath his lids to coincide with that burning red. The sharp edge continues to slowly drag and slice down his small body. Their jaws hang wide open in mocking laughter as he tries to endure the pain.

Tears finally escape from his eyes and roll down his face, and he opens his mouth (nearly unhinges his jaw) to release a piercing scream. He screams and screams, and it is just like in his nightmares where the sound echoes until the walls seem to reverberate with the very sound of his distress.

Loki screams so much he is almost deaf to the sound of several explosions going off at the same time from several floors up.

* * *

Political entanglement on the Avengers' side virtually disappears what with the illegal nature of human trafficking and their evidence for pursuing Doom. The question of dealing with the Latveria side of things is easily solved through Thor. The thunder god stonily declares that he will heft the political fallout of their little retrieval mission even if it means having Asgard declare war on the European country.

The next plan is figuring out how the rest of them are going to get there as Thor takes off nearly immediately. Steve can only be thankful he did depart with his communicator in tow, but he honestly wonders how many pieces they're going to find Doom in.

The benefits of Tony being a billionaire genius somehow means he is in possession of experimental jets that fly at absurdly quick speeds. Tony himself suits up in his armor after having entered the coordinates via JARVIS into the plane. He salutes the remaining four before blasting off after the thunder god.

On the flight over, Bruce remains in a constant meditative position. None go near him lest they all find themselves in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Steve tries outlining a strategy besides blowing the ever loving crap out of Castle Doom, but this becomes pointless.

"Sorry, Cap, but the need for infiltration has long since passed," points out Natasha as she checks her guns for the hundredth time.

"Yep," confirms Clint as he fingers the complicated notches of his bow. "I'm looking forward to seeing how many arrows I can cram into the eye holes of his mask."

"You'll have to find a way around my knives," counters Natasha.

This renders Steve silent as he can't deny that he's been entertaining a fantasy of having his shield ricochet against Doom's head an infinite amount of times. But then he remembers that the scientist is rarely ever defenseless, and he brings up this point with his teammates.

"Pretty sure Thor's lit up their circuits 'til kingdom come," comments Natasha.

"As well as bellowed some sort of declaration to anyone stupid enough to actually come across him," adds Clint. "Believe me, Cap. I thought he was going to bring a hurricane down on our heads when we found the bastard's body in that alley."

Steve holds on to his sigh and observes their determined demeanors. "So I see we're doing a smash and grab."

Natasha's eyebrows rise up in confirmation while a grim smile pulls at the archer's face. "Now you're speaking my language," says Clint.

A beeping interrupts their conversation followed by JARVIS' smooth voice. "We should be flying over Castle Doom in five minutes."

"Thank you," says Steve automatically though it still bothers him that he has no idea where to look when addressing the AI. He nods over at the two assassins who have already donned their parachutes. He calls out to Bruce who had conveniently seated himself by the door. "Banner, it's Showtime."

Bruce's eyes flash open, and a smile stretches over his face as he reaches for the door. A rush of wind whips around all of them as it's opened, and in the absence of the doctor, a large roar is heard.

Without another word, Clint and Natasha swiftly follow. As Steve is about to jump out as well, JARVIS' voice surprises him.

"Good luck, Mr. Rogers," says the AI, and Steve's not sure if he's reading too much into it, but he thinks the subtext of this wish is a desire to see Loki brought back safely. He just nods in return to the voiceless entity and soon enough it is just the roar of wind rushing past his ears. He waits the proper amount of time before deploying his parachute.

Before he has even stepped foot on the ground, a string of curses slips from his mouth. A smoking hole serves as their entrance into the castle, and the ground is littered with the mechanical limbs of many a robotic foe.

He halts the two SHIELD agents as he thinks to call Tony considering that they are now all in range of each other.

"Tony? Do you copy me?"

"Loud and clear, Cap," responds Tony almost immediately. He sounds slightly breathless, and Steve thinks he can hear a constant stream of high-pitched whirring.

"What have you got for me, Tony?" asks Steve in a brisk manner. The hallway they stand in is eerily empty of any moving life forms. The sounds of explosions ring throughout.

"Well Thor made excellent work of Doom's pesky robotic forces and is currently either facing down the man himself or one of those annoying Doombots. From the sound of it, the big green menace is making fine work of the lower levels."

"What's your position?"

"I'm scouring the upper most levels for Loki," reports Tony. "No such luck, but I never got to search the ground and sub-levels."

"Understood," replies Steve. He hears a humming on the other end which he takes to be an understood 'Good luck' and turns his attention back to Clint and Natasha.

Before he can get more orders off, their solitude is shattered by the sudden lumbering approach of a swarm of robot guards. Steve's shield goes ricocheting down the walls of the hallway and manages to knock off several heads with a shower of sparks. Clint unleashes an arrow that lodges into the wall at the very end of the corridor, and the ensuing blast takes care of any more oncoming forces. Natasha leads the charge into fighting the remainder head on. The fight drives them into what appears to be a dining hall as evidenced by the splatters of food on the floor and the overturned table. They are mindful of their footing so as to not slip in the greases and liquids which run across the cobblestone floor.

With just a handful left, Natasha bellows, "We've got it from here, Cap! Keep looking for the kid!"

Steve swings out with his arm to shove an imposing enemy back. He eyes the remainder and though it's not overwhelming, he doesn't like leaving his teammates. "Are you sure?"

Clint grunts as embeds an arrow into another mechanical foe's chest and kicks it away. Before he can respond, the ground gives way in an explosion of dirt as the Hulk punches his way through the floor. He continues launching high into the air, and suddenly the pieces of other robots unfortunate to have encountered him are showering down on the trio. When he lands, he immediately starts tearing into the opponents Natasha and Clint had been grappling with. The archer shoots Steve a knowing look, and that's the only encouragement he needs before he's slipping down into the hole the Hulk had conveniently created.

The fall is not so far as to jar him, and he is also fortunate to have more robotic corpses to cushion his fall. Not the most comfortable cushion but better than nothing. He finds himself in another dank hallway and rather than follow the series of holes made by the Hulk he chooses to continue down a set of stairs nearby.

Memories of HYDRA bases flit through his mind as he makes his way down the winding stairs. The two places are similar if not in layout then in atmosphere.

Then a sound reaches his ears. It's a quiet hissing accompanied by a low moaning, and it sends him rushing down the remainder of the stairwell in a hurry. He comes to a crouch at the bottom so as to take out any enemies left. None are there but other gruesome sights meet Steve.

Tubes of floating bodies line the walls of this particular room. The bodies are not even fully formed but are poor mutilated things like attempts at recreating the creature from Frankenstein. What is most eye catching is the bloodied, gleaming cutting device poised over the occupied slab. His heart goes out to whatever poor soul had come under all of those sharp edges. Then his heart nearly gives out as he finally realizes who is on the slab.

He quickly runs over to be by Loki's side, and his fists clench in anger as he takes in the child's form. Loki is a shivering mess who is taking large and uneven breaths with a stream of tears coming from his clenched eyes. He is strapped down, and the most arresting sight is the vivid red line which runs down the center of his too pale body.

"I've found Loki," reports Steve grimly. "And we're going to need medical attention stat."

* * *

Mjolnir slightly falters in its trajectory as Thor receives the news. His current bloodlust quells for a second, and he is aware of the battered form beneath him. This moment of hesitation allows for the accursed doctor to blast him off with a burst of magic. He flies off to slam into the wall but quickly picks himself back up with a low growl. He watches the other man with hooded eyes and begins starts to rotate Mjolnir in a hurried flurry.

"I think your brother is need of his protector," taunts the ruler. "Mustn't prolong the reunion."

"I have time enough to part your head from your body," threatens Thor in return. Without another thought, he flings the hammer at Doom. The other man attempts to dodge it but such is the fury of Thor's wrath that it aims true and launches the doctor clear through the thick stone walls.

The thunder god rushes towards the prone form as he simultaneously calls for the mighty hammer to return to his hand. It sweeps down in another deadly arc, and the dictator attempts to throw up an energy shield. To Doom's credit, it does repel the hammer, but the force of the blow shatters the barrier in turn and shoves him deeper into the ground. In place of Mjolnir, Thor decides his fists will do and quickly dives in to deliver a blow himself. He gets the drop on his opponent and punches him rather viciously in his masked face.

Thor's satisfaction is short-lived though as the damaged skull spurts out sparks rather than the sound of bone cracking. In his continued fury at having fallen for this ploy yet again, he places both of his large palms around that neck and wrenches the head from its body. The body jerks and convulses underneath him, and he quickly crushes the head in his hand as easily as the flimsy aluminum containers his Midgardian allies so often drink from.

Tossing the head aside, he rises from the ground and summons Mjolnir back to his palm. His fingers flex around the leather bindings of the handle, and he yearns to mete justice against the Latverian.

He sees a movement in the corner of his eye, and just as he turns towards it, another magical blast barrels at him and knocks him off his feet. Thor rolls over and regains his footing lest he suffer another blow. His blue eyes narrow at the man before him, and Mjolnir whirls in his hand once more.

Energy crackles from Doom's hand in response to the lightning sparking across the surface of the hammer. A storm brews between them as the tension mounts.

Then a sudden roar breaks out in place of the rumbling of thunder, and before Doom can respond, his green cape is grabbed by larger green hands. The Hulk twirls him through the air like a lasso and then finally slams Doom into the ground with a resounding crunch. The Hulk growls in contentment, and after the dust clears, Thor sees how beneath the mangled armor there are scrapes and scratches which bleed. He nods his head in thanks to his teammate who in turn grabs Doom from the ground so as to not lose track of him.

"GO JOIN LITTLE GOD NOW," demands the Hulk as he creates another exit through the wall and promptly drops to the ground. Thor follows suit and after getting a more approximate location from the Captain, they smash their way into the dungeons.

Thor nearly drops his hammer as a familiar and sickening sight meets his eyes. Tubes of experiments presumably gone wrong, the lethal cutting instrument with its various tools, and in the midst of all this is Loki crouched over on a slab. To his immediate relief, Loki is still in one piece save for a bright red line which runs down the center of his small body. His brother sits quietly staring off into the distance as Barton attends to his wound. Steve is off to the side hunched over while Natasha pats him on the back.

Their arrival garners attention, and Loki's eyes widen as he registers who has just now arrived. In a few quick strides, Thor is at his brother's side, and Clint has respectfully moved back to Natasha and Steve.

"Y-y-you came for me," croaks the boy.

Thor's hand goes to cradle Loki's neck, but his brother flinches away from the touch. He curls his fist and settles for letting it rest on Loki's shoulder. "But of course," he simply says in return.

The small god's head turns to look at the group of assembled Avengers. "A-all of you came. For me," he says quietly. A shiver travels through his frame, and Thor could hit himself for having avoided his brother's state of undress. He internally thanks Clint for dressing Loki's wounds as best he could as he takes off his cape to wrap his brother in it.

"How else are we supposed to mete out our punishment?" quips Tony who has just flown in through the hole in the wall. "By my estimation, you're grounded until we all die from old age."

"Tony," rebukes Steve as both SHIELD assassins throw glares at him.

This seems to strike something within Loki as he bounds up to nestle his head in Thor's shoulder. His thin, shaking arms wrap around the older god's broad neck, and Thor feels warm breath rapidly fan across the skin of his throat.

"I'm sorry," apologizes the boy shakily. Whatever restraint he had been holding on to dissolves as Loki continually shudders against him. Thor is quick to drape his red cape around his brother and rub his large hand up and down the boy's back. This only seems to cause the boy to take deep gasping breaths into his shoulder, and he continues to apologize.

Rather than back away from the two of them, his teammates actually inch closer. Thor recognizes the expression of helplessness on their faces as he is sure it is the very same one on his own. It is Steve and Clint who stretch out hands to also comfort the boy.

Loki's muffled apology is the only thing to be heard in the space of the room, and Thor wonders for what he apologizes. If anything, it is he who has failed to provide a safe haven for his brother. Thor aims to fix this again if he only knew how.


	15. Change of Scenery?

The following weeks go by in a melancholic pattern. Loki is more withdrawn and seems to just mope about the tower. He sits morosely in one location, and yet remains evasive. Steve tries bribing him cold delights, Bruce offers to have the Hulk come out and cheer him up, Natasha claims to have rounded up numerous copies of The Lion King for a barrel burning, Clint attempts to provoke his mischievous nature, and Tony tries riling him up with the supposed superiority of science. None of it works. They are all promptly shut down with a polite yet brisk refusal. This does quite a number on the spirits of the other residents. Even Clint and Tony are less likely to snark or joke out of hand, and Thor feels like conjuring up thick black clouds to blot out the sun as an extension of the atmosphere within the tower.

If his behavior while awake is troubling, it is nothing compared to whatever horrors trouble his sleep. Loki had refused Thor's offer to sleep with him, and yet it is as if he had accepted. Often does the boy jerk awake with a harsh pant or cry. Or sometimes he tosses and turns in his sleep while moans and groans emanate from his mouth. Thor is there in an instant (for he has installed himself in his brother's room despite his protests) with soothing words and calming gestures as Loki shudders into him. Attempts to wheedle out an answer are pointedly ignored. That is until after a particularly fitful night.

Silent tears dry against Thor's shoulder, but he does not press. Surprisingly, it is Loki who murmurs something into his chest and after the automatic response of humming in reply, Loki pushes back with his head downcast.

"Why would you ever bring me back?"

The question catches Thor off guard, and he is about to remind his brother about his own feelings on the matter when Loki continues speaking.

"I have only suffered through a sliver of what my past self was capable of, and it is enough to have me agree with my most vocal detractors. I was absolutely horrible and unashamed and reveled in the mayhem I caused! Mischief is well and good, but what I saw was… was…"

Thor releases a slow breath and places his hands on Loki's shoulders. He feels those small shoulders tense underneath his touch, and he is mindful not to tighten his grasp as anger courses through him at those who have brought his brother to this point. Including Loki of the past. "You are not that man, brother."

"But what if become him!" screeches Loki as his head jerks up allowing Thor to see the watery sheen over his eyes.

In response to this, Thor wraps his arms around Loki to pull him close. Loki holds himself stiffly, but Thor stubbornly continues to hug him. "I have faith you will not. Your intentions and efforts are much nobler than ever have I remembered them to be. For now, I admit to looking upon the past through a view tinted by roses. There is great potential in you, Loki." He tenderly strokes a hand through the top of Loki's inky black hair. "And even if prove me wrong, as you are want to do, I will still love you. I may not always approve of your actions or respond in a fitting manner, but you must never doubt that. Yes, you have deceived and caused much hurt in your past life, but in spite of all that pain, I would not wish for you to be absent from my life."

A beat of silence follows afterwards wherein Thor continues to comb thick fingers through Loki's hair. "How utterly selfish of you, brother," softly murmurs Loki in turn as he finally relaxes into the comforting hold.

Thor responds by gently jostling him to which Loki elbows him softly in the chest. Thor continues to jostle him until Loki pushes back with his lips pressed firmly into a thin line.

"Don't. You. Dare," he warns sternly.

Thor cannot mask the smile which soon breaks over his face and despite Loki's best efforts, the elder pokes and prods at his younger brother in a way which produces shrieks of laughter from the child. Loki's limbs flail about with reckless abandon, and Thor is glad for it. He had come very close to losing his brother again. But then could not deny the fact that his innocence (such a word could be applied to Loki) had been compromised in a most terrifying manner. Another change in location would be needed.

He waits until Loki's breathing has calmed down to its normal pace before broaching the topic. The feel of his brother's soft breath against his chest is just another reminder of how precious and small he is.

"I know the hour is late, and you must return to your slumber, but there is one more topic I must at least bring to your attention."

"And what is that?" asks Loki with just a hint of drowsiness.

"Our current whereabouts need shifting."

Loki tenses in his arms again, and he asks with full alertness in his voice, "What do you mean?"

Thor sighs. "I have failed to keep you safe. It is not a lesson I wish to repeat. Moving—"

Loki shoves away from him at this point and looks up at him with accusatory eyes. "Things are good here! It's not necessary!"

Thor tries to hold back the sag threatening to drag his shoulders down. "Your safety is a matter of necessity to me, and as your brother—"

"You can't make leave! I refuse!" interrupts Loki again.

"Loki," says Thor firmly in a warning tone.

His brother's face goes strangely blank in the face of this, and Thor recognizes the expression a split second too late. As his arm darts out to grab hold of his brother, Loki disappears in the blink of an eye leaving Thor's arm to stretch out uselessly. Shock fills him for the briefest of seconds before the panic sets in again.

"JARVIS," he booms out immediately.

"Yes, Mr. Odinson?" asks the bodiless voice politely.

"Where is my brother?" he asks in a rush. His fingers twitch for his hammer as the thought of flying around the city until he finds his brother again races through his mind.

There are a few moments of silence from JARVIS before he replies. "Mr. Loki is still safely within the Tower, Sir." This information allows him a slice of relief until Stark's computer keeps talking. "But he has requested his whereabouts remain undisclosed at this moment."

A pang strikes Thor's heart as he recognizes his brother's desire to be left alone. Even if he were to tear apart the tower beam by beam, Loki would not appreciate it and would magic himself away to some other location. Then he remembers Loki's currently small supply of magic, and how the transportation spell must have taken a toll on him. The thought of his brother lying somewhere weakened and cold distresses him.

"Please, can you not tell me where he is currently hiding?" It feels strange to plead with Stark's servant, but the objective is an important one.

"May I suggest sending Mr. Barton after him? He has become very adept at locating Mr. Loki."

Thor nods in response to this solution. "Thank you, JARVIS. I shall call upon Barton myself."

"My pleasure, Mr. Odinson," replies the voice.

Thor quickly makes his way up to Clint's floor and promptly knocks. Miraculously enough, the archer answers and agrees to search for Loki.

"You sure you don't want to come with me? It'd show him a lesson to have you know where all his possible hidey holes are."

Thor shakes his head as he remembers the look on his brother's face. "My presence is unwanted in this instance."

"Somehow, I doubt that," comments Clint. "I'll make sure to check in once I locate him."

Thor nods and claps a hand to the archer's shoulder who stays standing under the weight of his hand. "I thank you very much."

"No need to thank me. I've got to find the kid first." And with that Clint is off.

Alone again, Thor decides a trip to the lower levels of the tower is needed. Down there in the labs, Stark is surely still at work, and Thor would like to exchange words with him.


	16. Late Night Coversation Pt I

Clint finds him easily enough tucked up in a ventilation shaft, but it is far from the end of his problems. The kid is deathly pale and trembling like a leaf clinging to a tree in the midst of a strong wind. It is reminiscent of when they had found him again just a scant two weeks ago.

"What're the odds of finding a kid like you in a place like this?" he half-heartedly jokes as he offers the blanket he had brought along to the kid.

Loki remains fixated on his drawn up knees so with a sigh Clint crawls into the shaft to awkwardly arrange the blanket around the kid.

"You mind picking another past time that's not taking off under our noses? Something less stress inducing like stamp-collecting or whatever the Asgardian equivalent is."

"The only things they deem worth collecting are bruises and scars of which I am quite keen on avoiding thank you very much," mumbles Loki as he plays with the edges of the blanket.

"Chicks dig scars," replies Clint in an effort to get a reaction.

He gets a glare for his troubles. "I doubt it is as highly appealing when one's body begins to resemble some stitched up Frankenstein abomination."

"Frankenstein was the doctor," corrects Clint casually. "Common misconception."

He is the recipient of another little glare though less heated this time. "No one appreciates a know-it-all," he mutters.

Clint gently knocks him in the arm as he suspects the kid is self-projecting. "That's not a hard and fast rule of life. Know-it-alls get appreciated plenty. Just not to their faces. Don't wanna inflate their egos anymore than what they're already at." He jerks a thumb towards the opening of the vent. "I mean look at Stark."

In the darkness, Clint watches Loki's lips thin, but he suspects the kid of trying to hide his smile rather than supplying another look of disapproval. Another beat of silence, and the young god shakes his head slightly. "That may be the case here but not so much in Asgard," mumbles Loki.

"Who says Thor's taking you back there?"

"Why not? He brought me there the first time despite the fact it is populated solely by individuals who hate and despise me and would rather slit my throat than abide my very existence." The kid's fists tighten their hold around the blanket and seem to glow white due to how tight he clenches them. He turns his head away at that moment, and Clint allows him the moment of privacy.

"You know," Clint begins to say, "your brother was about to destroy the entire Eastern Seaboard when you uhhh…"

"Was foolish enough to be snatched away by some perverse deviant," grits Loki as he remains turned away from the archer.

Clint pinches the bridge of his nose and slowly releases a sigh in anticipation of the conversation they are about to have. "Kid, that was as much our fault as yours. Actually, I'm sure you could make a great argument as to how it was basically mostly our fault." He reaches a hand out to pat Loki on the knee and is suddenly flinging out his other hand to stop the pointed edge grasped in Loki's hand. His eyes connect with Loki's green ones and sees how stunned they are. His hold tightens marginally to get Loki to release his makeshift weapon, and the reborn god does so with a slight intake of breath.

The kid's reaction to what was supposed to be a friendly gesture turns a horrible gear in Clint's head, and he mutters a string of curses while releasing Loki's hand. "Jesus Christ, we fucked up. I don't blame your brother for wanting to search for safer pastures."

"And a land where all despise me is such a place?" asks the boy incredulously.

"Now, come on, kid. Be fair. This was an eye-opening experience for all of us. Wherever he's relocating you is gonna be for your best interests whether it's in some middle of nowhere place in New Mexico or Xavier's little school. He cares about you a lot, and he's not gonna drag you off to some place where it's Loki season all year round."

Loki continues to stare at him looking unconvinced, and Clint dwells on how hard it is to be uprooted and start anew. Especially with such a checkered past. He eases his hand slowly to settle on the top of the kid's knee so he can see it, and Loki allows the touch.

"And we'll be sure to visit when we're not being swamped defending the world from megalomaniacs," he assures softly. "Though I'm sure you'll be too busy to entertain us cause of all the other people you'll have in your life."

Loki snorts at this. "Yes, I need only to shed the lot of you in order to reach my maximum popularity potential."

Clint shoves him playfully. "Psssh. If anything we've all washed off on you which can only guarantee your awesome potential. As well as that tongue of yours, but you need to be careful who you aim that at."

Loki puts on a faux wounded expression. "But it's my most formidable weapon."

"Don't need to tell me that. But you've got other stuff in your arsenal. I'm still trying to figure out how you wormed your way past all our defenses. I went from wanting to stuff you with arrows to showing you how to pull off that kind of trick."

"Blame it on my adorably precocious nature," replies Loki with a simper that glows in the darkness of the shaft.

"I'll blame it on your nature all right," mutters Clint in return as he stretches his arm forward to ruffle the kid's hair.

Like clockwork, Loki squawks and swats away at the offending hand while trying to smooth down hair which had already been ruffled by sleep and is in even more disarray.

"So how 'bout it?" asks Clint. "Get Thor's heart beating at a normal rate and you two can actually talk this out. Otherwise I foresee you literally being attached to his hip." He holds out a hand for the kid to take hold.

Loki looks down at the hand, and Clint can see the wheels furiously spinning behind those eyes. His eyebrows momentarily furrow together but then with the smallest of sighs, he places his smaller hand in the archer's larger one. Clint's hand encloses around it, and he also can't help but sigh. It really is a wonder that he'll actually miss the kid.


	17. Late Night Conversations Pt II

As expected, Thor finds Tony alone and tinkering with something or other in his lab. Thankfully, he does not hear the loud underscore of what his teammates insist is called music streaming from the room. He carefully knocks on the glass so as to alert the man of science to his presence. With a quick glance up, Tony says something before returning to his work. The transparent door before Thor opens with a swoosh, and Thor promptly steps into the room.

"Couldn't sleep? Some people suggest a warm glass of milk though I like something a little stronger. Though I don't see you as a bourbon kind of guy. What is your poison of choice?"

Ignoring the quick stream of words which only serve to sideline him from the goal at hand, Thor says, "There is something I wish to discuss with you, Stark."

"Well go ahead and discuss away," he suggests as he continues to work on whatever new device is before him.

Thor takes a deep breath before saying, "I thank you dearly for the courtesy you extended to both myself and my brother in allowing us to reside in your tower, but I am afraid we must be moving on soon."

This announcement causes Tony to put his project down and rub the bridge of his nose with a bowed head. "Ah, shit," he mutters more to himself before turning to face Thor. "Look. You really don't have to do that. I mean, I understand completely why you would. We sort of proved ourselves to be the worst babysitters on the planet which I would have proudly pointed out to you beforehand, but uh… That doesn't really bear repeating at this point. Just… You don't have to distance yourself so completely from us. I mean, I get it. We fucked up majorly and shouldn't be getting a second chance, but I swear to god I'll make sure Loki doesn't get so much as a Tamigachi for his duration here."

Thor holds up a hand to get his teammate to stop speaking so rapidly. "The failing is not with you, my friend. It was I who did not fully consider all the pitfalls this location contained. I underestimated the more sinister intent that lies within men's hearts, and I intend to relocate him to a… less active environment."

"So you're gonna bore him to death?" asks Tony as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't think I've ever heard of that actually working as an effective disciplinary tactic much less with a kid who's got as much…" he slightly nods his head up and down in search of a word "'spunk' as Loki."

"I intend to try," responds Thor. A lack of vices would do his brother good.

"Well God bless—or should I say gods. I'm still not sure about that whole deity status. Either way, good luck with that, but I'm just saying we won't fuck up this time. A second chance is a lot to ask for given what just happened, but it's what I'm begging from you here."

"You continue to speak as if the fault lies within you," comments Thor.

"Well, I mean it's a group failing. So when you leave him with us, and he manages to get kidnapped by a kiddie-toucher and then Doom, it's safe to that was our bad."

"In moving him to a more secluded area, I hope to avoid the likes of these… touchers of children." His fists tighten by his side as his skin crawls at the thoughts of what could have happened to his brother. Loki has not spoken of what happened while in that man's captivity, but Thor knows his own fears are either worse than or pale in comparison to whatever happened. "I swore to protect him and have failed. I will do my best to make sure it does not happen again."

"You'd have more help if you stayed," offers Tony softly, and Thor is struck by how… small his voice sounds. Not at all like the easy banter which usually flowed from his mouth. It is almost as if he is pleading in his own way for the pair of them to stay. He thinks over their time in the tower, and he would be thick to deny the change he has seen in his brother during their stay. Each of his teammates has formed their own unique bond with Loki, and his brother is more prone to genuine smiles born from joy while here rather than the sly ones he so easily put on in Asgard.

"You have come to care for Loki?" His tone remains neutral so as to not give anything away. A part of him is amused that the man who had extended his invitation sarcastically (though Thor will never admit to him that he knew the initial invitation to Loki to be less than genuine) now makes a case for Loki.

Tony breaks eye contact and scratches the back of his head. "Well, yeah. The kid's got a strange way of endearing himself to others, but I'd be wrong if I said it didn't work."

At this, Thor cannot help but smile as it is true. And his smile stretches ever so slightly at the thought that he is finally not alone in thinking this.

Breaking up the silence of their moment is the beeping of Thor's communicator. Without even checking, he knows it is Barton, and he has a quick correspondence as to what floor to meet up on. Backing towards the door, he nods his head respectfully at Stark. "Thank you, Tony. I will think on our conversation."

"No problem," replies Tony easily as he picks the device up again. "And don't beat yourself up so much. We got him back."

"Aye," is all Thor says in return.

When Thor meets up with Clint in the common room, he is greeted with the sight of Loki positioned on the archer's back. His younger brother takes the slow, measured breaths of one who is asleep

"Knocked out on our way here," replies Clint as he relinquishes Loki to Thor's arms.

His brother's small head lolls against his shoulder, and his thin arms automatically wind about Thor's neck to pull closer. Thor's grip readjusts as if to give his brother a more comfortable perch while his large hand gently cradles the nape of Loki's neck.

"I'm gonna beg Tasha to stop with the junk food sessions. The kid feels a lot heavier than he ever has before," jokes the archer.

Thor gives him a tight smile before saying, "I thank you for your assistance, Barton. And now I wish you a restful slumber."

Clint smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "Anytime. It's not the type of scare you should have to suffer through in such a short amount of time." He stands before them awkwardly for a few moments longer before finally angling his body away. "Well g'night then."

Thor waits for him to disappear around the corner before making his way back to his own room. They can both sleep in his larger bed for the night, but first…

"Brother, I know you are not truly sleeping."

There are no hitches of breath or tensing of the body to give Loki away, but the same measured exhales tickle at not just Thor's exposed neck. Without warning, Thor jabs a finger into Loki's side, and this produces the effect of Loki restraining a yelp while his arms jerk tighter around Thor's neck. Having been crushed by worse forces, this does not give Thor pause. Instead he allows himself a smile of triumph.

"Fine. You have sussed me out. What now?"

"Now? Now we sleep," answers Thor as he lowers his brother on to the bed.

"Sleep?! With such pressing matters at hand?" Loki sits up urgently and looks up at Thor as if the sky will collapse around them if they do not talk right now.

Thor sighs as he gets under his thick covers and nestles into his comfortable pillows. "It was a mistake for me to bring that up at this time. We will speak of it in more detail in the morning."

Though Loki is silent in return, Thor has enough experience with his brother to interpret this silence as grudging agreement. Turning to face the younger god, Thor reaches up to curl his hand around Loki's shoulder. "I will have you know that I have your well-being at heart. I only want what is best for you." Loki's eyes avoid his gaze. "But also know that I will not be entirely deaf to your own thoughts on the matter," adds Thor.

Loki's head whips back to stare down at him, and it is unusual to see the open longing in his eyes. The hope that he will be listened to.

"But rest for now," orders Thor as softly pushes down. Loki goes down with no further compliance and arranges the blankets around himself until he is satisfied. The evening's activities have taken more of a toll than he was willing to show to Thor for the sound of deep, natural breaths soon fill the silence.

Thor also allows himself to relax and begins to drift off into peaceful darkness. And if his arm so happens to sling over his brother's frame and tuck him closer to his side, then so be it.


	18. The End

A/N: And back to a fluffy ending. I can't resist those. Goodbye, kid Loki.

* * *

A peal of carefree laughter echoes through the air to mingle with the sounds of other various happy noises at the park. Loki is crouched over from laughing as Steve stands before him thoroughly soaked with shreds of a balloon surrounding him.

Steve looks thoroughly perplexed as he bends down to pick up the remnants of the balloon. "I swear there was more water than possible in this thing. It fit in the palm of your hand, and yet I feel like a bucket just got poured on me."

Loki's laughter peters out soon enough for him to say, "Appearances are deceiving, Captain."

Steve narrows his eyes in faux scrutiny and is about to say something when a rustling from nearby bushes pulls focus. Loki whips in that direction with another small balloon at the ready when a balloon promptly breaks against the back of his head. The god leaps with a shriek and whirls around only to get another two lobbed at his chest.

Steve suppresses his titter but not his smile, and Natasha smirks from her now revealed location. She surreptitiously plays with a medium sized balloon in her palm. "Know your surroundings, kid," she instructs as the water filled object goes up and down in her hand.

Loki's lips thin, and he stares her down as he slowly reaches for his own brand of water balloon like a character from a cowboy narrative. Natasha surprisingly does not make any moves as his arm does a win up to retaliate. But just as his arm reaches the peak of its throw, another hand wraps around his smaller wrist, and Loki releases an undignified shriek as he wildly looks up.

Hanging above him with his legs hooked around a high tree branch is a smiling Clint. He winks at Loki before disarming him of his balloon and continuing to hold on to him. "He's all yours, Tasha," he comments cheekily.

"Unhand me, Barton! This is most unfair," pouts Loki as he tries yanking Clint from out of his perch. This only serves to get him lifted so as to be on his tiptoes.

"Guys," admonishes Steve as Natasha closes one eye as if sizing up where best to lob her balloon. "This is a bit un—"

"Cherry soda filled balloons," hisses Natasha, and Loki suddenly gulps in regret at the alternate balloons he had happened to nail her with at the beginning of their game. The regret increases as Steve's eyebrows shoot up in remembrance at the special balloon he had also received. The Captain actually has the gall to simply stare up at the sky as if the clouds contain the answers to life, and Loki vows to smear his precious shield in sticky confectionaries.

Finding no allies here, Loki falls back on his one sure thing. He inhales deeply and yells with a note of panic, "THOR!"

Both assassins curse simultaneously. Clint relinquishes his hold as Natasha quickly lobs her balloon.

As if he had been waiting in the trees the entire time, Thor dives forward and manages to push his brother out of the way while also intercepting the hit. White splotches manage to flick up towards Loki's face, and then the two brothers are shrouded in leafy underbrush.

"What was that?" asks Steve's voice at the same time Clint says, "Flour? Really?"

"I'm just upping the ante," replies the spy in a low voice which suggests the two men lower their voices so they can stalk their targets successfully. Quiet soon fills the air.

Then loud rustling greets his ears, and he realizes it is Thor.

"What are you do—" he begins to hiss when a large hand claps over his mouth. His brother brings a finger to his lips as an order to be silent before removing the hand. Thor's head cranes to the side as if listening for something.

Without warning, there is an arm wrapped around his waist, and Thor bolts from their hiding spot and dashes off elsewhere. Loki doesn't even have time to yelp due to the suddenness of it all. Green and brown blurs race before his eyes as Thor takes off for who knows where.

Then Thor jerks to a stop, and Loki lifts his head to see Steve standing before them. Four balloons rest in his hands, and he smiles in his ready stance.

Thor begins to backtrack when a clearing of the throat forces him to whirl around. Tony leans against a tree and casually taps at a bucket overflowing with an assortment of balloons that is by his feet. "We've got you guys pretty surrounded what with Legolas and Pippi Longstocking playing it all covert."

"What the hell, Stark!" is yelled at the same time as "I resemble that comment!" from two opposing directions.

Loki looks up at his brother and sees him trying to calculate how they can get out of this without an assortment of liquids staining them. After all, losing team has to do laundry, and Loki forgets what other things he had filled his balloons with. He just started mixing things after awhile.

"If you had just let me use my Starkph—"

"You know full well you are still prohibited from using any device which can connect to the land of the Internet," rumbles Thor. "Even if you were just to use it for this 'global positioning'."

"That'd be cheating anyway," remarks Tony.

"And surrounding us four to two is not?" points out Loki.

"Not my fault someone decided to take out Bruce with a whipped cream balloon," replies Tony. "I'm almost expecting to hear his roar of rage on the way to the bathroom any minute now."

"How many times do I have to say MY BAD!" yells Clint from above.

"And besides," continues Tony, "I remember someone else saying that we mere mortals were no match against the 'might of Asgard'." He storkes his chin thoughtfully while smirking at the two brothers.

Loki glares up at Thor who purposefully avoids eye contact and acts as if he is still looking for a clean way out.

"Yes, well my boast has yet to be proven untrue," retorts Thor as he finally sets Loki on the ground. He winks ever so briefly which Loki takes to be the signal. While all attention is drawn to Thor, he slowly reaches for his remaining arsenal.

"We will indeed prove our worth on this DAY!" With that last proclaimed word, he grabs hold of Loki, who quickly hands him a balloon, and swings back around to nail Steve in the chest. The super soldier actually goes down due to the fervor of Thor's throw.

At the same instance, Loki flings his balloon right at Stark, and it explodes in a shower of red as it makes contact with his shoulder. Tony yelps and accidentally kicks at the bucket which topples over. He scrambles down to pick one up and retaliate but is quickly plastered with yet another balloon full of a sticky substance which has him shaking his hands out.

"Ugh! What the—"

Thor then flings his brother up towards the tree containing Barton while doing a roll so as to avoid Natasha's aim. She manages to get him in the foot, but Thor's next balloon nails her in the hip. She grits her teeth and stutters back a few inches.

"Soda again?!" she fumes.

Up above, Barton groans in disgust as Loki smashes his egg and milk filled balloon into the back of the archer's head. Loki promptly drops out of the trees and is caught by Thor who then takes off running again just as Clint tumbles afterwards.

The curses from his pursuing teammates are almost melodious to Thor's ears. Though in this instance, it is he and his brother against the Avengers the same does not hold true outside of the situation. Where it had only been him serving as his brother's protector, now there are five others willing to stand by Loki. It does not just have to be him and Loki against the entirety of the world tree.

Though as Loki scrambles over him to continue lobbing balloons, Thor counts his blessings that his brother remains ever on his side. For though in the form of a relatively innocent child, Loki remains Loki when it comes to the machinations of mischief.


End file.
